Statue of English soccer player Harry Kane becomes latest sports sculpture to face criticism

A shiny metal likeness of England soccer captain Harry Kane has become the latest statue of a sports star to face criticism for failing to capture the essence of its subject.

Kane’s statue was unveiled in the London borough of Waltham Forest, where he was born, on Monday, and the Bayern Munich striker marked the occasion with a post on X.

“A real proud moment for me to go back to where my life in football began and unveil a statue. I hope it helps inspire the next generation to work hard and believe in themselves,” he wrote alongside a photo of him smiling next to the statue.

The juxtaposition makes the differences between the real life Kane and his bronze likeness amusingly apparent, with many questioning whether Kane could truly be impressed by the work.

“Sitting beside it proud as punch unaware that it looks absolutely horrific,” wrote one X user.

While others congratulated Kane, the overwhelming sentiment was one of confusion.

“Who is the statue of?” asked another commenter.

Art critic Estelle Lovatt also weighed in.

“If you think about it historically, a public statue was there to memorialize, show off and loudly boast of the achievements and accomplishments of the person. But if it doesn’t really bear a resemblance to the person, then it’s quite difficult to relate to it,” she told U.K. broadcaster Sky News.

“I just thought that the Roman emperors wouldn’t have put up with it, with this sort of standard,” added Lovatt.

As it turns out, this is not the only modern statue unveiled recently that has seemingly failed to live up to ancient standards.

In October, NBA team the Miami Heat revealed a statue of franchise legend and basketball Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, with the design of the statue immediately going viral and drawing some unwanted comparisons.

And in 2017, a bust of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was unveiled at an airport in Madeira, where he was born, after the facility was renamed in his honor.

It soon became arguably the most infamous statue of a sports legend ever, sending social media into a frenzy over its perceived likeness – or lack thereof – to its subject.