£7,200 Harry Kane statue pictured for the first time

The statue of England captain Harry Kane, commissioned five years ago, has been photographed for the first time.

In honor of the Walthamstow-born striker, it was announced in 2019 that Waltham Forest Council ward councilors had agreed to erect a work of art in recognition of his exploits.

That year and in 2020, they allocated £7,200 to have a sculpture made of the Chingford-raised footballer.

However, his life-size figure seated on a bench was never revealed to the public and remained in storage for several years.

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Now, on the images obtained by The big problemfans were treated to their first look at the statue.

In full England kit, the Kane sculpture  which remains in storage  shows the Bayern Munich star sitting on a bench with a football on his lap.

The statue was then planned to be installed on a platform at Chingford Overground station, but it was abandoned following a risk assessment carried out by Transport for London.

Emma Best, the Conservative councilor for Chingford’s Endlebury ward who approved the project, claimed they had spent “hours and hours” trying to find a place for the artwork.

A spokesperson for Kane, 30, said they were “really excited” about the statue and hope it will be unveiled “in the coming months”.

“Especially with Harry being England and Tottenham’s all-time top scorer. This is what he deserves,” the spokesperson said.

“The location of the statue is really important to us and, as Emma said, we have a few issues at the moment, but when we get there we’ll be happy to go.”

In a statement to Mail Sport, a Waltham Forest Council spokesperson said: “Community ward funding projects are suggested by residents and approved by ward councilors, who lead communications around ward funding opportunities and carrying out projects or events that receive funding.

“Each year, clear guidelines are given on what can and cannot receive Community Neighborhood funding, based on the relevant theme.

“All ward councilors must unanimously approve projects to receive community ward funding. Advisors must follow the guidance provided to them, which is reviewed annually.

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A spokesperson for Kane insisted they were “really excited” about the statue and its unveiling.

Kane was seen reporting for England duty on Tuesday afternoon, as the England captain continues to deal with an ankle injury.

England will play friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, before warm-up matches against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iceland in June, but it is not yet clear what Kane’s involvement will be.