The real reason why Kane was released by Arsenal as a youngster

The Tottenham star was once on the books at Arsenal

Former Arsenal midfielder Nico Yennaris has explained the reason behind Harry Kane's departure as a kid.

It might come as a surprise to some but the Tottenham Hotspur was once on the books at their north London rivals but things didn't quite work out and he was released as a youngster.

Kane was part of the Gunners' under-8's team alongside Yennaris, but whilst the latter was kept on for a few more years the former had to leave in order to become the world class striker he is now.

Arsenal's loss has proven to be the Lilywhites' gain as he's gone on to net over 100 times for Mauricio Pochettino's side and has been backed to become the Premier League's all-time leading scorer should he stay in England.

Many have wondered what led to Kane's Arsenal release and Yennaris has revealed that Benik Afobe played a huge role.

Kane and Yennaris, both circled, were Arsenal team-mates at Under-Eights level (Image: Daily Mirror)

"It’s amazing to see where Harry Kane has gone and what he’s gone on to do,” Yennaris told the Daily Mirror . “But you never know and it’s about getting an opportunity and grabbing it with both hands. That’s what he did and he’s never looked back.

“To be fair, when they let him go, we were so young so nobody knew where we would end up and how far we could really go. At my age group, for a lot of the time, it was more about Benik Afobe because he was a main man in our team at the time.

“But I have got so many good memories from my time there and I’ve got no regrets at all. I left Arsenal on good terms, with the staff and everybody there.

“It’s exciting for me, it’s my first time back as a player but I’ve been back as a fan — my dad is a season ticket holder and I go whenever I can and he’s got a spare ticket.

“I’m desperate to play (on Wednesday), of course. I’ve had so many requests. The lads have bantered me a lot! I’ve got to block it out, play the game rather than the occasion. I’ll just enjoy going back but focus on my game.”