Harry Kane reacquaints with old foe Giorgio Chiellini

There have been a few moments in Harry Kane's career that have bookmarked his ascent.

His game-clinching free kick for Tottenham Hotspur against Aston Villa in 2014, which convinced his then-manager, Mauricio Pochettino, to promote him to the starting lineup, is one. His maiden goal for England, against Lithuania at Wembley, 79 seconds after coming off the bench to replace Wayne Rooney for his international debut is another.

But the moments that have shaped Kane aren't the milestone goals he's scored. They have been the tough games, the testing moments, the games he hasn't scored in.

One of those was his first England start, against Italy in Turin on the final day in March 2015. Rewarded with a start following his scoring cameo four days earlier in that game against Lithuania, Kane went toe-to-toe with one of the finest defenders in the world. It didn't go particularly well for the Englishman.

Giorgio Chiellini not only marked Kane out of the game — he kicked him out of it. Aware of Kane's rising stock in England, Chiellini hacked Kane to the ground inside two minutes with a shuddering challenge. It was a rude awakening for Kane, who described his experiences in that game to this reporter just over a year later ahead of Euro 2016.

"I learned a lot about international football within seconds of the start of that game against Italy when Chiellini took me out about three seconds after I played the ball," Kane told me for Rabona magazine. "That's part of the experience when you're playing against world-class defenders. They're the kind of things you have to cope with. I've used that experience to help me along the way."

England salvaged a 1-1 draw that night, a respectable result against an Italian team that was still unbeaten since the 2014 World Cup the previous year. But for a then 21-year-old Kane, it was a night that saw him struggle against one of the game's savviest defenders.

But he learned from it. In 2018, Kane's Tottenham would meet Chiellini's Juventus in a Champions League double header. Spurs would lose the last 16 game 4-3 on aggregate, but Kane's strike on the same patch of grass in Turin proved that he had come of age against his old adversary.

Silencing skeptics

Even after he failed to score in England's first three group games — the Three Lions scored just two goals combined — it's somewhat remarkable that some England fans still doubt Kane.

He is on course to break both the Premier League scoring record — he's less than 100 goals short of Alan Shearer's 260 mark at the age of 27 — and England's scoring record: He's 15 short of Rooney's all-time mark of 53 goals.

Speaking after he scored the second in England's 2-0 victory over Germany in the last 16, Kane was once again forced to defend his record.

"As I've always said, I love scoring goals," Kane told ITV after England's last-16 win over Germany. "It's one of the best feelings in the world. It's not about how many times you miss. It's always about the next one. Being ready for the next one. I stayed ready."

Chiellini has faced his fair share of skeptics. There were doubts in Italy going into the tournament whether the 36-year-old could still hack the physical rigors of the tournament, but those concerns have ebbed away.

The final meeting

Six years on from his baptism of fire, Kane and Chiellini, now captains of their respective countries, will lock horns again in the final of the European Championship.

Kane is at the peak of his powers and undoubtedly a far more polished player than the one Chiellini met in Turin in 2015. But Italian defender's masterclass against Belgium's Romelu Lukaku in the quarterfinal will serve as a warning to the England striker.

His contest with Kane will be one of the individual contests that will decide the final. Even at his age, Chiellini can still hold his own. Alongside his partner in crime, 34-year-old Leonardo Bonucci, who also took care of Kane that night in 2015, Chiellini has been the bedrock of Italy's success in this tournament.

"Kane is a player I have always liked a great deal," Chiellini said this week after England's semifinal victory over Denmark. "I remember one of his first internationals in Turin and he immediately made a good impression on me. We've been fortunate enough to play against Tottenham so I know him well."

Chiellini certainly has experience on his side — Kane could win a trophy every year until he retires and still not match Chiellini's haul of 14 major trophies. He knows better than most the scale of Kane's ability, and the Italian will be relishing the chance to lock horns with Kane. The latest installment of their long-running rivalry has more at stake than ever.