England vs Argentina: A Tale of Two Strikers
In the world of football, the path to glory is often filled with unexpected twists and turns. The story of Harry Kane and Will Keane is a testament to this, as their journeys to the World Cup and beyond have been nothing short of remarkable. While Kane, the English striker, is gearing up for the biggest match of his career, Keane, his former strike partner, is reflecting on a career that has seen its fair share of setbacks and comebacks.
A Sliding Doors Moment
In the spring of 2012, the future seemed bright for both players. At the time, they were part of the England Under-19s team preparing for a European Championship qualifier against Switzerland. Will Keane, then a promising young striker for Manchester United, seemed destined for big things. But fate had other plans.
"I'd never had any setbacks at that point," Keane recalls in a candid interview with BBC Sport. "When you're young, you're fearless. The whole trajectory of my career was up. I made my senior debut for Manchester United, we won the Youth Cup, and I was doing well for England. Everything was taking off."
However, a devastating knee injury near the end of the game changed everything. It was 16 months before Keane could play again, and in that time, Kane's career took off. He completed loan stints at Norwich and Leicester, breaking into the Tottenham team, while Keane's career seemed to stall.
"It's timing," Keane reflects. "Some lads go their whole career and have a few niggles, but nothing derails them too much. That first injury was at a crucial time. I had my foot in the door, and the feeling was I would probably have been around the first team. If the injury had happened a couple of years later, I might have been an established squad player. When I had it, I missed 16 months at a crucial part of the transition from reserves to seniors."
A Mental Journey
The setbacks didn't stop there for Keane. In 2016, he suffered another ACL injury, this time while playing for Hull City, which resulted in a 14-month layoff. It was a crushing blow, and he found himself relegated with the team. But it was also the start of a mental journey that would shape his career.
"I'd used sports psychologists before and always tried to be positive and optimistic, but I started working with someone at Wigan who hadn't worked in football before," Keane explains. "He's a bit more of a spiritual psychologist. We focus on positive intentions, manifesting, and visualization. I'd tried everything in the box, and kept breaking down, so I wanted to do something a bit different."
Keane's new approach to mental health and well-being was a game-changer. "I wish I'd had that when I was younger, especially with the setbacks I had early on," he says. "It might have got me back into the right frame of mind. For any player, if you've not got belief in yourself and you're lacking confidence, you're not going to perform the way you can."
A Different Outcome
Keane's mental transformation was a turning point. "I was around the first team at United, then I got the injury, had a few loans in the Championship where I didn't do very well, and I started to doubt myself," he admits. "Wigan catapulted me. Before that, I should have backed myself. I played with a lot of those lads all the way through, and that's where I was potentially heading. If I'd focused on the mental part earlier, it might have been a different outcome."
A Different Path
Meanwhile, Kane's journey to the World Cup has been one of sheer determination and self-belief. "I remember when we were young, people said he wasn't mobile, but technically, the time he put into his finishing and his obsessiveness to be the best in terms of shooting, you see it, don't you?" Keane marvels. "He's so sure of himself because he's put the work in. He knows he's a complete striker. He's not arrogant; he just has the confidence that sets top players apart."
A New Chapter
Today, Keane is spending the early part of the week at Champneys Springs in Leicestershire, participating in the PFA's 12-week pre-season camp. At 33, he feels he has "a few years" left and hasn't given up hope of adding to his five senior Republic of Ireland caps. "A couple of lads I know did the camp last season and spoke really highly of it," he says. "I almost feel like I'm part of a squad, and we're away for pre-season. There are so many staff; medical, coaching, administrative, and media. It's quite competitive, and there are seven or eight games, so clubs can see you're playing."
Keane is feeling relaxed about his situation. He was out of contract once before, in 2020, when Covid hit and Ipswich decided not to trigger a one-year option due to financial uncertainties. Eventually, he returned to Wigan, one of eight clubs he has played for in a career spanning 335 senior appearances and 85 goals. "There's been a few chats," he says. "I'm sure they're aware of me. They might be looking for A, B, and C targets, but when the season starts, if a club doesn't have a great start, there's a bit of panic, and maybe things open up."
A Global Perspective
As for England's World Cup hopes, Keane acknowledges the complexity of his situation. "It's a hard one because I played for England up until Under-21s and then seniors for the Republic of Ireland, so I've got a foot in both camps," he says. "I am proud to represent Ireland. My dad was born there and moved to England. But I've also been born and raised in England, and my family's English."
In the end, the story of Harry Kane and Will Keane is a reminder that in football, as in life, the path to glory is rarely straightforward. It's a tale of resilience, self-belief, and the power of mental fortitude. As Kane prepares for the biggest match of his career, Keane's journey serves as an inspiration to all who dream of World Cup glory.
