Harry Kane's First Football Club Celebrates His Ballon d'Or Win

England captain Harry Kane has won the Ballon d'Or, which is the most famous award in all of football. The people who knew him as a young boy are cheering loudly for him. His first football club, Ridgeway Rovers FC in Walthamstow, England, says they have always believed in him. Club chairman Ian Marshall said he was nearly in tears watching Kane win the award. He added that he knows just how hard Kane worked to get there.

Alex Welsh used to coach at The Arsenal Football Club Youth Academy, which is right next to the Peter May Sports Centre — the home of Ridgeway Rovers. Welsh said he felt 'ecstatic' when Kane won and called it 'fully deserved.' He remembered Kane as a young player and said no one could have guessed just how great he would become. 'Harry has certainly reached the levels that we could never have foreseen all those years ago,' Welsh said. He also pointed out that Kane has never forgotten his roots or the place where it all began.

There is actually a statue of Harry Kane at the Peter May Sports Centre. Welsh said he wants every young player who steps onto that pitch to look at the statue and believe in themselves. 'We want every kid that comes on to this pitch to look at this statue and think, That could be me one of these days,' he said. He believes Kane is a perfect example for young athletes everywhere. Welsh also called Kane a 'brilliant role model' for anyone who dreams of playing sport professionally.

Surprisingly, Kane almost did not become the striker the world knows today. When he was 10 years old, the club was not sure if he was good enough to play as a centre forward. Welsh, who was also a part-time goalkeeping coach at the Arsenal Academy at the time, was asked to try turning Kane into a goalkeeper. He worked with Kane once a week for five months to see if it could work. In the end, Welsh joked that he 'failed miserably' — and said the whole nation should thank him for not doing his job well enough.

Chairman Ian Marshall said Kane's rise to the top came down to his own belief and hard work. Marshall admitted that the club thought Kane might only become a decent squad player, not a superstar. 'We didn't think he would be as good as he was,' Marshall said. But he gave all the credit to Kane himself, saying it was Kane's effort and dedication that made the difference. 'He's better than all the rest of them and that's a fact,' Marshall added proudly.

The club is now thinking about adding something to their team kit to honour Kane's Ballon d'Or win. Marshall said it is a rare thing for a club to produce a player who wins that award. 'We're a club that produced a Ballon d'Or player... there's not many of them about,' he said. The team is very proud of their connection to such a famous footballer. It is a moment the whole club will remember for a very long time.

Young players at Ridgeway Rovers are also feeling inspired by Kane's success. Stanley, who plays centre midfield for the Ridgeway Rovers Under 10s Tigers, said Kane's win motivates his whole team. 'It's an inspiration for the whole team to follow on his journey,' he said. George, who plays in defence and midfield, said he was asleep when Kane won but was thrilled when he heard the news. 'It makes me believe that I can do it and all my other friends can do it as well,' George said.