Harry Kane of FC Bayern Munich celebrates after scoring their side's first goal against Bayer Leverkusen
Harry Kane scored twice against Bayer Leverkusen to take his season's tally to 31
Ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier at Hampden Park in early June, 2017 - a game in which he would score a dramatic late equaliser - a few of us sat down with Harry Kane.
He had not turned 24 and, before having the final say in a 2-2 draw with the Scots, had five goals in 17 international appearances. Kane was the holder of the Premier League’s golden boot at the time but most of us still raised an eyebrow when he told his small audience that the Ballon d’Or was in his sights.
“I’ll do whatever I can to win that big gold trophy,” he said. That big gold trophy has been the subject of debate in recent weeks, thanks mainly to Mohamed Salah’s sensational form. But our understandable preoccupation with the Premier League means that we can even overlook the exploits of British players overseas.
And while Salah was being hooked and getting a 3/10 for his performance in Paris, Kane was collecting the man of the match award and scoring twice for Bayern Munich in their 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
[
New England boss Thomas Tuchel issued demand over Europe's 'most exciting footballer'](https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/england-thomas-tuchel-squad-nwaneri-34798040)
His opener on Wednesday night was a classic header and he won and converted a spot-kick for his second, which took his season’s tally to 31 goals across all club competitions. Those 31 goals come at a ratio of one every 86 minutes while Salah’s 30 goals come at a ratio of one every 113 minutes.
Salah has 22 assists compared to Kane’s 10 (but has played over eight hours more than the Bayern striker has) and penalties account for 13 of Kane’s goals and nine of Salah’s. However you want to interpret those stats, one thing is clear. Kane is as important to Bayern Munich, the champions-elect of Germany, as Salah is to Liverpool, the champions-elect of England.
In 79 appearances for Bayern, Kane has scored 75 goals. That is living up to expectations. And before people start wittering on about the standard there, the Bundesliga had a finalist in last season’s Champions League and a finalist in last season’s Europa League. No English teams were involved.
During that interview almost eight years ago, Kane explained that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo did not have a duopoly on the Ballon d’Or just because of their immense individual talent, but because their club teams were successful.
Ballon d'Or holder Rodri has missed most of the 2024/25 season with a cruciate ligament injury
“Ronaldo won La Liga and the Champions League and that is why he wins it,” said the 23-year-old Kane. “Messi is in a similar situation. To do that (win the Ballon d’Or) isn’t just individual, it’s about a team winning trophies … and, hopefully, that is what I can do at Tottenham.”
Alas, in the six seasons that followed, he could not do that at Spurs but after drawing a trophy blank in his first season in Germany, that looks sure to change. That might still not bring individual accolades because despite his record-breaking feats for England, Kane remains under-rated. But, at this stage of the season, his dream of winning that ‘big gold trophy’ should be as alive as anyone’s.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read ourPrivacy Notice.