Harry Kane is 'first class individual': Leyton Orient chief
May 24, 2020
Leeds [UK], May 24 : Leyton Orient CEO, Danny Macklin heaped praises on Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane by terming him as a 'first-class individual'.
England captain and 2018 World Cup Golden Boot winner announced that he will sponsor club's shirts for next season to give relief to the coronavirus-hit side.
Kane has stepped in to make a sizeable contribution to the club for whom he made his first appearances in senior football during a loan spell in 2011.
Orient are one of a number of lower-league clubs who are counting the financial cost of the COVID-19 outbreak, with it likely to be confirmed following a meeting of clubs next week that the League Two season will be brought to an end early.
Clubs at the level of fourth-tier like Orient rely heavily on matchday revenue to finance themselves, and thus the prospect of playing games behind closed doors would hit them substantially.
"He is a first-class individual. He has helped provide vital income and exposure and is raising money for three fantastic causes," Goal.com quoted Macklin as saying.
"One week on, we have already sold more shirts than we did in the entire 2019-20 season. It is unbelievable. We have had to place two top-up orders since. We have had enquiries from around 113 places to buy the shirt, and we have had 100 orders from the USA. It has been phenomenal. We even know of Arsenal fans buying it and applauding what Harry Kane has done!" he added.
Macklin feels the 26-year-old is now a role model both on and off the field for what he has achieved.
"He is a role model to people like my son. We all want an England footballer we can be proud of. He started his professional career on loan at Orient, which was a perfect fit," Macklin said.