India, Oct. 27 -- Harry Kane is a story of perseverance and hard work. The 33-year-old is also a team player; as a child, he was ready to even play in goal. He had to wait 15 years for his major trophy. And now, in his fourth season at Bayern Munich, he is a Ballon d'Or winner, one who has ended a 25-year wait for England. "It feels really, really like a dream," said Kane.

His journey nearly ended before it could begin. With dreams of being a professional footballer, Kane went for trials at Arsenal. He was rejected. Next stop: Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal's North London rivals. Rejected again.

"He was chubby, not very athletic, and we got it wrong," Liam Brady, the former Ireland international who was Arsenal's academy coordinator at the ...