Life at Bayern Munich couldn’t be going much better for England captain Harry Kane, who has heaped praise on boss Vincent Kompany for his no-nonsense management style and believes he is now playing and enjoying his football better than ever before. Kane has also highlighted how life is very different to what he left behind at Tottenham.
Brilliance in Bavaria for Bayern Munich
The former Tottenham's striker's time at Bayern Munich has been nothing short of brilliant, defined by phenomenal individual performances and record-breaking goalscoring. In his debut 2023-24 season, Kane was exceptional, scoring 36 goals in the Bundesliga to win the European Golden Shoe and break the record for most goals in a maiden Bundesliga campaign. His overall form saw him register 44 goals in 45 matches across all competitions that season.
Building on that success, the following season saw him finally secure his first major career trophy by winning the Bundesliga title, a long-awaited moment that ended his "trophy drought" narrative. He was also named the Bundesliga's Best Player for the same season. Kane has seamlessly adapted to the German top flight, proving his worth as one of the world's best strikers and solidifying his move as a resounding success.
And Kane believes boss Kompany deserves his share of the praise for how well he has played.
AdvertisementAFPKane: 'People are appreciating some of the other stuff I do'
Kane told the : "There is no BS with him [Kompany]. A lot of footballers, and people generally, appreciate that. I think this is the most I’ve been enjoying my football because I'm involved more. He’s definitely improved me. I love tackling, helping the team, blocking shots. I’ll be judged on goals but I think this season people are appreciating some of the other stuff I do as well.
"The way we play, man-for-man, obviously makes me do that. At Tottenham, with [Antonio] Conte, we ran! That was a pretty tough time, a tough pre-season! I feel like I’m affecting the game with and without the ball much more than I ever have in previous years."
Barcelona transfer talk grows louder
Kane has been linked with Catalan giants Barcelona in recent months and, as he approaches the end of his current deal with Bayern, has finally addressed the speculation, saying: "I haven't had any contact with anyone, nobody has contacted me. I feel very comfortable in the current situation, even though we haven't yet discussed my situation with Bayern."
He added: "There's no rush. I'm really happy in Munich. You can see that in the way I'm playing. If there's contact, then we'll see. But I'm not thinking about the new season yet. First up is the World Cup in the summer. And it's very unlikely that anything will change after this season."
And when asked if Bayern fans should worry about the lack of talks, he replied: "I don't think so."
Getty Images SportChampions League showdown approaches
Bayern face Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday evening and both teams head into the match with perfect records in the Champions League this season, having won their first four matches. The winner has the opportunity to take a commanding lead at the top of the league phase table. Arsenal boast the competition's best defence, having not conceded a single goal so far. However, they face a significant test from Bayern's potent attack, spearheaded by Kane, who has an excellent scoring record against the Gunners (15 goals in 21 appearances) and Bayern arrive in red-hot form, coming off a 6-2 domestic win. History slightly favours Bayern, but the current Arsenal side is seen as a different, mentally tougher challenge. Injuries are a factor for both sides, with Arsenal missing key players like Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz, while the Bavarians will be without Luis Diaz due to suspension and Jamal Musiala through to injury. This encounter promises an exciting, high-scoring affair as two European powerhouses vie for supremacy.