Harry Kane moved from Tottenham Hotspur to FC Bayern in 2023. The 33-year-old scored an incredible 156 goals in 162 games for Munich. As of Thursday evening, he was the only record national player in England with 126 appearances. He celebrated the milestone in style: with a goal in the 2-1 (1-0) win in the Nations League against Croatia. It was Kane's 92nd goal in the Three Lions jersey. A few weeks earlier he had been honored with the Ballon d'Or.
“It’s been a crazy few weeks,” said Kane after the game against Croatia: “Breaking the record is a huge event in the history of our sport.” We previously spoke to him – the world footballer in an interview.
Question: Mister Kane, do you plan to defend your Ballon d’Or title next season? And which Bayern player could win it next?
Harry Kane: I'm really proud and happy to have won the Ballon d'Or. Of course I would love to win it again. But I know there are many other great players who also have a chance. We'll see. I think several Bayern players could win it. Michael Olise made it into the top 10 and is having such a strong season so far that he certainly has a chance.
Question: FC Bayern won the European Cup, today's Champions League, three times in a row in the 1970s. Can you help Bavaria shape a new golden era in the coming years?
Kane: I've always said that my goal is to win the Champions League with Bayern. Winning it with this team would be a very special feeling. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to win the Champions League with Bayern at least once. We have won many titles together and it is always an incredible feeling. So I'm sure it would feel incredible to be Europe's champion too.
Question: They can be found all over the square. Can you imagine playing in a position other than attacking as your career progresses, for example as a defensive player or as a playmaker in midfield?
Kane: I'd like to try that at some point. When I was young at Tottenham, I played in midfield and in various positions. As I became more and more involved in Tottenham's first team under Mauricio Pochettino, he saw me as a number 9 because I scored goals and kept making runs behind the defense. When José Mourinho came, he probably took my game to another level because he gave me a lot of freedom. I knew that passing was one of my greatest strengths and that if I dropped deeper I could handle the ball well even under pressure. This season I won both the Playmaker Award (most assists, d. Red) and the Golden Boot (most goals) in the Premier League. Since I've been at Bayern, we've had a lot of freedom with Vinny (coach Kompany) and our style of play. This applies not only to me, but also to other players. We can drop deeper into the defense and thereby influence the game. Over the past few years, this, along with my ever-better understanding of the game, has helped me to develop enormously. For me it's great to know that I can continue to do all that and score my goals at the same time. Last season I scored more goals than ever before in my career. This shows that there is not just one way to play football or score goals. There are many different options.
Question: What role did FC Bayern play in you winning the Ballon d’Or?
Kane: Moving to Bayern was a big step in my career and also for my family. I wanted to challenge myself and see what level I could still achieve. Since I moved to this club, the reception we have received here has been truly incredible. To experience the support of the club, the staff, the coach and my teammates around the Ballon d’Or was something very special. Without them I wouldn’t have been able to win the Ballon d’Or. I always believed in myself and knew there was a level I could reach. I knew that if I kept putting myself in these big situations, it would bring out the best in me, especially with the quality of the players around me. When you see a club like Bayern, constantly playing big games, winning titles and scoring goals, I knew that in that environment I could reach a level that people hadn't seen from me before. The move to Bayern helped me with that. The team and the entire environment enabled me to reach another level. That’s the role I think Bayern played in me winning the Ballon d’Or.
Question: What is more important to you: breaking the Premier League goalscoring record or defining an era at FC Bayern?
Kane: My focus at the moment is on Bavaria. We have a great team and a fantastic coach and I am extremely happy here. Of course we have other goals with Bayern and want to achieve new things. Above all, we want to win the Champions League, continue to dominate the Bundesliga and defend the titles we won last season. Over the course of my career and my life, I have learned that you can't always decide everything yourself. Sometimes you just have to let things happen, believe in yourself and keep working hard. This is my top priority at the moment. I would never rule out breaking the Premier League goalscoring record at some point. But right now that's not my main focus.
Question: Imagine if we were to do this interview again in five years: What would you have to have gained by then in order to be able to say: “My career is complete”?
Kane: In five years I would like to have won the Champions League at least once with Bayern and a title with England.
Question: What do you particularly like about living and playing football in Munich?
Kane: Life in Munich is great. My family and I didn't really know what to expect before we moved. We had lived in London all our lives so this was a big step for all of us. But we were incredibly positively surprised. Munich is a beautiful city. The fans and the people here welcomed me and my family very warmly. We like being outside. My wife and children enjoy skiing in the winter, and we all love long walks in the forest. We really enjoy every second here.
