Football Daily | Harry Kane completes his arc from Orient loanee to Ballon d’Or winner

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Perusing the records we could find of Leyton Orient’s 4-0 shellacking of Sheffield Wednesday on a cold January afternoon in 2011 at Brisbane Road, Football Daily could find little or no indication that the young tyro who scored the O’s second goal might one day be presented with the most prestigious individual gong in world football. On loan from Spurs, a whey-faced 17-year-old Harry Kane marked his first senior start with what the BBC described as “a neat finish”, stealing in at the far post to convert a Dean Cox free-kick. Even after a breakthrough 2014-15 season for Spurs that yielded 31 goals and earned him an England call-up, assorted experts predicted Harry would prove to be little more than a one-season wonder – a kind of footballing Chumbawamba but with better manners and neater hair. Eleven seasons later the immensely likable Bayern Munich striker continues to bang them in for club and country with such monotonous regularity that few were surprised to see him presented with the Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or!! Ballon d’Or!!! Ballon d’Or!!!! by the original and best Ronaldo live at the London Palladium. Not since the late Bruce Forsyth has any Englishman in an over-sized crushed velvet bow tie looked more at home on the famous old venue’s stage.

Re: yesterday’s Football Daily. OK, so it may not be that contemporary, but Omar Berrada’s name fits into a jaunty song I came up with when bored, to the tune of Escape (the Piña Colada song) by Rupert Holmes: ‘If your name’s Omar Berrada / Head should be hangin’ in shame / If you’re supportin’ the Glazers / You’ve only got half a brain / If Jason Wilcox hasn’t done one / When he is mostly to blame / Then we’re the fans that you’ve stuffed / How do we stop the pain?’ I’m not even a United fan, but they’re all welcome – Simon Mazie.

I would happily take the Manchester United job, as it’s a surefire way to earn three years’ pay in six months – Alex Lester.

Now the shambles at United is even clearer, might Bryan Mbeumo be wishing he had chosen Spurs instead? – Richard Fernandez.

About Jonathan Chester-le-Street’s excellent idea to nominate Noble Francis for the Fifa presidency (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). I back that nomination and look forward to his first act in office: the creation of a Noble prize, awarded to himself obviously – Peter Oh.

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