Speaking to Kicker, Harry Kane discusses his first half-season in the Bundesliga, the differences between the Bundesliga and Premier League, his first-ever winter break as well as looking ahead to the Euros in Germany this summer.
In the first half of the Bundesliga season, Kane finds himself as the top scorer in the league with 22 goals putting him on track to beat Robert Lewandowski’s record of goals in a single season. Whilst in the race for the title Bayern Munich are currently four points behind Bayer Leverkusen. On the first half of the season, Kane said: “I’m very satisfied, I have to say. It was my first transfer after a really long time at Tottenham, so I didn’t really know what to expect. I just believed in myself and my abilities. It was clear to me that I would be joining a great team, but I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect and how everything would work out. But now I’m totally happy with how I’ve settled in in Munich and with the team. The few months in the hotel were great, everyone there was really great to me – just like the fans, who supported me incredibly. All in all, I couldn’t have imagined a better start.”
In the summer it was unknown whether Kane would decide to leave the club that he has spent his whole career at in Tottenham. On his final season at the club and his decision to leave, Kane said: “I focused on helping the team and concentrating on the next game. Of course, we had a difficult season last year, so I didn’t want to let that distract me. Normally you always start weighing up the options at the end of the season. I still had a year left on my contract so I knew there was a possibility of a move and it was just a matter of having a conversation with the Tottenham chairman. If I were to go, it could be a European club, Bayern was a club that was very present for me. When I took a closer look at the team, I thought this could be a good option for me.” Kane was then asked if he considered moving to a Premier League club and the 30-year-old said: “In football, you can never say never because many things can change. Tottenham was a big part of my life. As a team, we had really great moments together, but Bayern Munich was a really good option for me. I wanted to experience something different, I wanted to get to know European football.”
Bayern are currently in the round of 16 in the Champions League against Lazio, on the team’s chances this season Kane said: “I think if you look at the Champions League now and look at the teams, Bayern Munich is probably one of the top three favourites to win. As we have seen in recent years, the best team does not always win, it depends on many factors. I always feel like you have to have a run in the Champions League and I hope we get that ball rolling against Lazio.”
On the differences between the Bundesliga and Premier League, Kane said: “In the Bundesliga, more teams are trying to start the game from behind; More teams press, sometimes play man against man. So the spaces are a little bigger, which we can take advantage of if we bring our tempo into play. Perhaps there is a bit more structure in the Premier League; a few more teams defend in the block. As far as the atmosphere is concerned, it’s fantastic in Germany, completely different to the Premier League.”
Looking ahead to the Euros next summer in Germany where England have been drawn into a group with Denmark, Serbia and Slovenia, Kane gave his opinion on England’s chances: “We have good chances. The team has had some good experiences in recent years; we were in the final of the last European Championship. I have the feeling that we can play a good role at this European Championship. As always with tournaments, certain aspects are important. It’s been a long time since England won a trophy. We as players have to try to change that.”
GGFN | Jack Meenan
