Kane says he plays with 'point to prove' against Arsenal after being released when he was 9

MUNICH, Germany (AP) — Harry Kane was released by Arsenal when he was 9 years old. He has been on a revenge mission ever since.

The England captain has scored 15 goals in 20 appearances in all competitions against Arsenal — first as a Tottenham player and now while at Bayern Munich — and will look to add to that record in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals.

Bayern held Arsenal to a 2-2 draw in the first leg in London last week, with Kane scoring.

He opened up Tuesday about his feelings when playing against Arsenal after being rejected as a kid.

“Up until this year, I’ve played them at least twice a year for the last 10 years,” Kane said at a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s game at the Allianz Arena. “It was always a big occasion, a big moment. Of course, always maybe it was in the back of my mind, being released from a young age, that there was always a point to prove and I feel like I’m the type of player who throughout my whole career has had points to prove along the way.

“I don’t feel that ever leaves you. It will always be in my DNA until I’m retired. There will always be a reason to prove someone wrong or prove to myself I can do something.”

Liam Brady, who was Arsenal’s academy manager when Kane was at the club, has since said Kane “was a bit chubby, he wasn’t very athletic but we made a mistake.”

Writing in a piece for The Players’ Tribune in 2018, Kane said being released by Arsenal “was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, because it gave me a drive that wasn’t there before.”

On Tuesday, Kane said there was more at play now that he had joined Bayern.

“I don’t think specifically I look back to that and think that because I was released at 9 years old, I really need to make a difference tomorrow,” he said. “Now I’m at Bayern Munich, it’s just they are a top team in the Champions League.

“Of course I have history with (Arsenal) but all I can do is help Bayern Munich qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League.”

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard trained Tuesday after coming off in the second half of the team’s 2-0 loss to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday with what manager Mikel Arteta said was an injury.

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Bayern's Harry Kane celebrates after he scored his side's second goal from the penalty spot during the Champions League quarter final first leg soccer match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, London, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Bayern's Harry Kane scores his side's second goal from the penalty spot during the Champions League quarter final first leg soccer match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium, London, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Cologne at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Cologne at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane attends a news conference in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, ahead of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane attends a news conference in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, ahead of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Bayern's Harry Kane attends a news conference in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, ahead of the Champions League quarter final second leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Arsenal. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

MOUNTAIN HOME VILLAGE, Calif. (AP) — Two young siblings died after being swept away by a rapidly flowing creek in Southern California's San Bernardino Mountains, authorities said.

The tragedy occurred Tuesday when a mother took her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son to spend the afternoon at Thurman Flat picnic area on Highway 38 near Mill Creek, the San Bernardino Count Sheriff's Department said in a news release.

They were playing along the creek when at one point the mother was attending to her son and her daughter was taken downstream, the department said.

“The mother searched for her but could not locate her," the department said. "When she returned, her son was missing and assumed to be down river as well.”

The mother frantically searched for both children and then hiked up to the picnic area and asked another family to help search, an effort that was unsuccessful.

Rescue crews from multiple agencies arrived at the scene about 70 miles (113 kilometers) east of Los Angeles around 4 p.m. and eventually found both children. The siblings were taken to local hospitals and pronounced dead after extensive efforts to save their lives, the department said.

The names of the children and their mother were not immediately released.

Mill Creek is a major tributary of the Santa Ana River. Its waters plunge down a rocky bed from the towering peaks of the San Bernardino range, where ski resorts reported as much as 199 inches (505 centimeters) of snowfall this past season.

California authorities regularly warn that the state's rivers and streams can become very dangerous when spring snowmelt fills them with fast-flowing, very cold water.

Cold shock can quickly stun the strongest of swimmers and boulders, branches and other debris can lurk invisibly beneath the surface, according to the California Office of Emergency Services.

“Swift water can be deadly, especially as the weather warms up following heavy winter snowfall in the mountains and higher-than-average flows in rivers and streams,” said Amy Palmer, spokesperson for the California Office of Emergency Services, said in an email. “It’s critical Californians understand and appreciate the dangers it can pose and take precautions wherever possible.”

Local public safety agencies also make pleas for people to be careful near waters.

In the southern Sierra Nevada, the Kern County Sheriff's Office is blunt, updating a sign on the road to the notorious Kern River with the death toll since 1968. Last May, the sign was updated from 317 to 325, reflecting eight deaths between 2022 and 2023.

The San Bernardino County Fire Department conduct a swift water rescue of two children on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Two young siblings who had been playing near Mill Creek by the Thurman Flats Picnic Area, in Mountain Home Village, Calif., died after being swept away by the rapidly flowing creek in Southern California's San Bernardino Mountains, authorities said. (John Lewis via AP)

In this aerial still image provided by KABC-TV, shows a rapidly flowing creek in Southern California's San Bernardino Mountains where two young siblings died after being swept away by the rapidly flowing creek, authorities said. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department says the tragedy occurred Tuesday, May 7, 2024, when a mother took her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son to spend the afternoon at a picnic area on Highway 38 near Mill Creek. (KABC-TV via AP)