On August 13, 2023, Bayern Munich football club announced that England star Harry Kane officially joined the club, providing important fire support for the team’s front court, and the transfer fee also broke the club’s historical record, it became the most eye-catching transfer in European football this summer.
Harry Kane is a veritable all-round center with the ability of termination, organization and other aspects to revitalize all aspects of Bayern inpre-market. For him, he is eager to win the championship and looking forward to higher-level challenges, which is also an important reason for joining the “Bundesliga giant.
Q: Let’s talk about the starting point of your career. Do you still remember the first club that you played for, the Ridgeway wanderer?
A: “Yes, Ridgeway. I remember I was probably only about five years old when I played football on their behalf for the first time. At that age, the only thing you care about is playing football happily with your friends. Many of my teammates at that time were friends in my school, so I only remember that we had a good time. You know, I never planned too much for the future at that time. I have never thought about what I will do when I grow up, but I know I love football, which is all I want to do at that age.”
Q: What role did Dave Brickell play in your growth?
A: “Yes, Dave is great. He is my coach and a very good coach, but he is not only a technical coach, but also a person who teaches me to behave in the world and is a person who can speak freely. At that time, many of us were afraid of him because of his loud voice. He has always supported me throughout my career, so I have been very grateful to him.”
Q: How did he always support you along the way?
A: “He is also A Tottenham Hotspur fan, and he always keeps in touch with my family. He is very concerned about my career, so I am sure he is proud of my achievements now. As I said, I am very grateful for his company and guidance over the years.”
Q: What impact did your family have on your career?
A: “Yes, family is an important part of everything I have achieved now. You know, since I was young, my parents have taken me to training together to ensure that I will not be absent. My brother often plays football with me in the park or garden. So yes, family is very important to me. As I grew older, I met my wife Kate, who also supported me very much. Whenever something doesn’t go so well, she can always see the other side of it. She always supports me, inspires me and helps me. Now we have three children and another one is about to be born. Family is really important to me. I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Q: Where does your sense of competition come from?
A: “Maybe it’s from my brother. I think anyone with a brother will always be in a competitive relationship. My brother and I are always playing games or sports, which is what we have done since we were young, and I have always wanted to play with his friends. He is four years older than me, so I think it exercises my sense of competition.”
Q: rejection seems to be an essential lesson in every football player’s career. We know that Arsenal rejected you at the beginning. What does this experience mean to you?
A: “I remember when I was eight or nine years old, I was abandoned by Arsenal, but at that age, you wouldn’t realize that you were abandoned. For me, leaving Arsenal just means I have to go to the next destination. Although Arsenal didn’t choose me, it didn’t stop my desire to play football. I said to myself: Let’s find another team and let’s continue to work hard. You know, sometimes you have to show resilience, and you have to show confidence at such a time. When I communicate with young players nowadays, these are the two points I often talk about; Work hard and remain confident, because you can’t do these two points, then you have no chance to really make progress, naturally, it cannot be better. So, in retrospect, although it was a difficult time, I was very happy to find a new team and continue to play.”
Q: What was your original intention to set up a foundation based on your own experience?
A: “The Foundation we established last year has made good progress so far. Its original intention was to pay attention to mental health and help everyone, especially young people, to build up frustration resistance. Let them understand-everyone will have ups and downs and encounter some setbacks along the way, which is normal. The key lies in how you deal with it and who you talk to and accept help., Never just endure silently. Always keep talking with family members, friends or coaches and other people around you to express your feelings. So far, this is a pleasant journey. We only spent one year, but we learned a lot about mental health. Yes, this will be what I want to continue to do now and in the future.”
Q: After Super Cup in Germany, Mattis Terr encountered some racial discrimination on social media. What do you think of this?
A: “I think this is totally unacceptable. Tel is a talented young player who has done everything for the team and the club, so no matter who wrote such a thing, they are not qualified to become real fans. So I mean, I am sure that the club also understands this situation, and the relevant departments will also help us reduce the occurrence of this kind of situation as much as possible. For us as players and Terr’s teammates, Yogueta need to communicate or advice, we are around him. This is what we want to do and do.”
Q: On Friday night, you will play Werder Bremen. Do you feel even a little nervous about this match?
A: “I think so. This is a brand new team and a brand new environment. I am always full of confidence in myself and my ability, but it takes time and patience to integrate into a new environment. Of course, if you want to join a rich club like Bayern Munich, you must constantly improve your level, which is also the purpose of joining Bayern. I want to make progress, I want to be better. So as long as I play, what I have to do is to help the team as much as possible and try to push the people around me to become better. The game is the most comfortable time for me.”
Q: What ideas of Thomas tuhull attract you to Bayern?
A: “We talked. He said he needed me in his tactical system. He shared his game style and the most suitable position for me. My teammates also have excellent abilities, which have played an important role in joining Bayern. And I can compete for the league championship every season and be competitive with the Champions League championship, which is exactly what I want. Tuhull and Bayern gave me such an opportunity.”
Q: Does tuhull regard you as pure 9? At Tottenham Hotspur, your position will retreat slightly and take on some offensive organization work.
A: “Yes, I think it may be more suitable for No. 9 at first, but as always, it depends on the different needs of different teams. Throughout my career, I have always said that I can play the role of no.9 or no.10, and I always decide this according to the situation of my opponents and their arrangement methods. Do they retreat deeply? Do they press forward? So I will continue to do the same thing. In Bayern, I may start from a higher position and take the 9th position and appear more in the restricted area. But even when I play number ten, I will not retreat too deeply. I have been looking for goals, passes, and direct plugs, so I think we will look at the plans for the next few weeks. We have some excellent players here, so if I appear around the penalty area, they will be very good at responding and running for me.”
Q: Some hometown fans don’t understand why you want to transfer to Bayern. What do you want to say to them?
A: “Everyone has their own opinions, but most importantly, it is my own career, and I will make the best decision for me and my family. I have said since the first day that I never want to stop making progress. When I came to such a club, I felt that I challenged myself and made myself better. If I want to win the Champions League, if I want to win the league every year, this is the perfect platform for me to show my ability. Only time can prove, only the future can prove whether this is the right choice, but I am completely confident that this is the best thing for my career, it is also the best thing for Bayern Munich, and I am very happy to show you that I can reach another height.”
Q: So, is winning the championship an important reason why you joined Bayern?
A: “No, I don’t think so. People often talk about honor, you know, there is a lot about me chasing honor on social media, but for me, this is continuous progress-of course I want to win the Championship, when I was at Tottenham Hotspur, I also wanted to win every year, and I didn’t work hard in any season. So as I have always said, this is not just the trophy itself, but to spur yourself. Clubs like Bayern Munich are under great pressure. Everyone thinks that winning the league championship is the foundation. You must also make sure that you go further in the Champions League or you will fail. This is the experience I want to feel, this is the pressure I want to feel, and this is the ultimate reason why I am here.”
Q: What is the biggest challenge you have encountered here? Maybe German?
A: “It should be German. I mean I will try my best to learn, but it must be an extremely difficult language. The advantage is that many people here speak English, which will help me anyway, but I will try my best to integrate into the culture. I will try to learn languages, I will try to know as much as possible about the fans, but I think the most important thing is that people want me to show a good competitive state on the court. Bayern Munich fans hope that I can significantly improve the team’s offensive performance on the court. Therefore, even if I don’t speak German well, as long as I score goals, I believe they won’t be too disappointed. However, this is not an excuse. As I said, I am willing to try to do as many things as possible.”
Q: Since you mentioned becoming a leader, what is the best way to push your teammates forward?
A: “to make people play the best, in fact, it is not entirely necessary to do it by shouting loudly. I think as a leader, we need to know the personality of each teammate and their motivation. What makes them better? What makes them full of motivation? So you know, in the next few weeks, I will always know as much as possible about them, and also help them to know more about my competition style. The two complement each other. If you want to be a team leader, you must have confidence and promote it as much as possible in various ways, whether it is verbal motivation or body movements such as hugging. Although I am still young, it has always naturally existed in my DNA. I always do this naturally on the court, so I come here and continue to insist. I hope my presence can help the team enhance confidence.”
Q: What do you think of Thomas Muller’s energy?
A: “Great, I like it very much. As I said before, he has invited me to play golf, which should be next week. So I have to bring my equipment from England. People like Muller are very helpful to every team. You know, he has proved his ability year after year. I think his personality is also very important to this team, so I believe we will get along well and hope we can have good interaction on the court.”
Q: After joining Bayern, do you realize that you need to wear leather shorts at the Oktoberfest?
A: “Yes, I have seen it before. But to be honest, I didn’t know leather perforating shorts were necessary before, but I found this quickly, so… like I said, I am willing to learn about new cultures, this is part of this journey and part of this new experience. I don’t know what it would be like to wear leather shorts, so I’ll see it then.”
Q: How will you interact with the Bundesliga fans?
A: “As I said before, I am looking forward to learning as much as possible about German football. I am sure they are also excited about my coming to the Bundesliga, and I also look forward to showing them my ability as soon as possible. I am sure that most teams and most stadiums will fight for their home teams. Fans like to see great matches and great players’ performances. Therefore, I will know as much as possible about the fans and let them know as much as possible about me.”
Q: How would you react if you could go through the past and say to Harry Kane, who played for Millwall at that time, “Ten years later, you will become a super star in Bayern Munich?
A: “To be honest, I don’t think I will respond much. I am used to watching the peak, not stopping to win the scenery along the way. Of course, it feels great to join Bayern, but I won’t get carried away. I know I still have a lot of work to do.”
Q: What other aspects do you think you still have room for improvement?
A: “I feel very good at present and I am in good health. My pre-season training adjusted my status to a suitable level. Every year I hope to make progress, such as different scoring methods, whether it is left foot, right foot, header, or others. Now playing for Bayern, maybe I can score in a narrower area through passing. So let’s wait and see. During the training, I have already done some exercises and adjustments on some small details. Let’s see if they work this season.”
Q: Are you looking forward to the German national derby against Dortmund?
A: “Yes, 100%. You know, even when I watch the German National Derby in England, you can feel the atmosphere created by the fans and the meaning of this game to everyone. I had the experience of North London derbies, so I am sure the experience of German national derby will also be great. There is no doubt that this will be a difficult competition, but it will also make you want to participate in this competition and feel this warm atmosphere, so I am looking forward to it.”