Arsene Wenger has claimed he would love Harry Kane in 'the red and white' of Arsenal as he lifted the lid on the Tottenham star's release from their academy.
Before he joined Spurs, Kane actually played for their fierce North London rivals, performing for the developmental sides at an early age.
He would ultimately leave the Gunners after he was released aged eight, using that as a motivation for his prolific playing career.
Wenger has admitted he didn't have too much control over the young striker's fate back then, but hinted there is a fair bit of regret from his side.
Speaking to beIN Sports, the ex-Arsenal boss said: “I think he is a top leader in Tottenham, he’s a top leader in the England national team. I respect highly his commitment and his quality.
“What I like is that he could basically play as a No.10, because of the quality of his assists and the speed of his vision.”
On joining Spurs, Wenger added: “That’s where he made the wrong decision! I know about his story, but he was very young, just nine years old and his father moved.
“I don’t know exactly what happened, but it was at a very young age.
“The history of every club is full of players you’ve missed that became top stars. Unfortunately...I would like them all to be in the red and white.”
Since joining up with Spurs, Kane has broken a host of goalscoring records, including becoming the record scorer in north London derbies last year.
And in a 2018 interview, he outlined how that rejection from Arsenal still played a part in his preparation for every match.
"I remember the first time we [Spurs schoolboys] played against Arsenal," he told the Players' Tribune.
"Even back then, I had a chip on my shoulder. It might sound ridiculous -- I was only eight when they let me go -- but every time we played them, I thought: 'Alright, we'll see who's right and who's wrong.'
"Looking back on it now, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me because it gave me a drive that wasn't there before."
He was on the losing side of Sunday's match, as goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Martin Odegaard sealed a 2-1 win at the Emirates.
Kane went on to hit the post and have a goal disallowed, in a match that will no doubt have deeply hurt the Spurs forward.
On games against the Gunners, he added: “I get really detailed about it -- I'll picture my opponents and the cut of the grass and everything.
"This time, I was picturing the defenders wearing the red Arsenal kit, and I got goosebumps.
"We were in the tunnel, and I thought: 'OK. Took me 12 years. But we'll see who was right and who was wrong’.
"I remember walking round the pitch after the final whistle and clapping to the fans ... and it felt like: 'Well, I told you so.'"
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