Starting a job in a foreign city where you don’t speak the language and have no family support is daunting. It’s a tough job when you’re Bayern Munich’s expensive frontrunner and expected to please 80,000 fans who have little tolerance for vacillations.
It’s a good thing, then, that Harry Kane is a reliable presence when it comes to goal-scoring. “It’s obviously a good start to the season,” he says, with galactico-level understatement, given that he’s breaking records almost every week.
Indeed, Kane has scored 22 goals in just 18 games since his move to the Bundesliga giants; This included three hat-tricks and a stunning goal from his own half. Not that shabby.
Of course, many footballers move around the world at a young age and 30-year-old Kane has plenty of life experience to draw on as he rebuilds his life in Germany. And he looks more than ready for the challenge. “New team, new page; I’m very excited to be here,” he says with genuine enthusiasm.
But it’s not easy, considering she has four young children, including baby Henry, who was born in August. When we speak on a video call, Kane has been living in a hotel for months and still seems comfortable with the situation. “I’m enjoying the new environment,” he insists, “just experiencing different cultures is fun.” And yes, that includes the famous photo of him working out to promote a German beer sponsor. “It’s a pretty cool tradition, but the shorts were heavier than I thought,” he said.
But family is clearly on his mind and so I ask him if little Henry is doing well in Blighty. “Yeah, he’s doing well… he’s growing up really fast,” he says, before saying he wants to move the whole family out of London.
And it looks like they might all be able to gather under one roof for Christmas. German tabloid Bild reported that Kane had finally found a house in Munich, where the family would soon move into.
But Kane clearly has deep roots in the capital, and it doesn’t take much digging to pinpoint what he misses in his old life in the big smoke. It inevitably starts with friends and family but quickly expands. “Just that feeling of home. Familiar surroundings…a local dog walk – or a restaurant.”
Soon we’re talking wistfully about London’s favorite golf courses and idyllic dog-walking routes, as if we’d never left. “When I was more on the Essex road or east of London it was Epping Forest. I’ve been taking them over since I moved to Hampstead [to] “They’re on the Heath and they’re having fun there.”
Kane has two dogs, Brady and Wilson, who he clearly cares about. “One of them was named after Tom Brady,” he explains. “My wife actually named the other one Wilson. People thought it was for Russell Wilson.” [the NFL star]. But it was just a coincidence.” When you’re the captain of the Three Lions, even your dogs can be easily misunderstood.
Of course he longs for something more meaningful than a pleasant walk through the old town. “One of the nice places I often went to in London was a restaurant called Beast. “This is a steak restaurant and they make good crabs there.” It’s actually a less modest choice because the Beast on Chapel Place is considered one of the best surf and turf restaurants in London.
As a relaxer, we discuss what other sports besides football Kane could excel at. “Good question. I really like American sports,” he muses, adding: “Maybe I could go to America and try some in the NFL.”
Kane had talked about playing in the NFL before and I thought it was a joke. Here it turned out to be extremely serious. “I don’t think it’s about laughing. I think it’s more about exploring that option.”
When I ask why he thinks such an extreme change of pace would work, Kane gives me a sales pitch as if I were an NFL scout. “I think I’ve been able to be effective in those situations, in a lot of pressure situations.” He pauses to think, as if convincing me could make this a reality: “I know this will take a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. It won’t be that easy to just swing and do it.
So will his fantastic grilling move come true? “Yeah, let’s see,” enthuses Kane enigmatically, “I’ve always said it depends on certain circumstances and conditions,” he says, clearly warming to the idea, without ever saying what those circumstances might be. But fear not, Bayern (and England) fans eventually declare: “I still have many years left in my football career. And relax.
Given that he’s in such a thoughtful mood, we delve into what the future might look like when Harry hangs up his boots for the last time. “I don’t want to just be done with football and then have nothing to do,” he admits, casually passing on the topic to Our Pure Planet, the new sustainable electronics brand of which he is now co-owner and brand ambassador.
Kane passionately explains why he was willing to get involved in this particular gig and why it wasn’t a straight promotional deal. This involves a spoonful of personal development, but it is largely about shared values. “So when I’m talking about it, when we’re wearing it, we’re all in this together,” he says solemnly.
It turns out that there are two main reasons here. The first of these is the environmentally friendly identity of this brand, which uses almost entirely recycled plastic and also claims to have no carbon impact. It’s clear that this idea made a big impact on Kane.
“With Our Pure Planet, we’re talking about going greener. I’m no expert on the subject, but I think any small change we can make (and me being at this company) will go a long way.” Who could argue with that?
The less expected size is that this brand is relatively affordable. For example, the Platinum Bluetooth Headphones supplied for this interview – hey, I’m the tech editor – cost less than a hundred pounds and still feature active noise cancellation (ANC). These aren’t the flashiest headphones I’ve tried, but they perform well and offer excellent value for money. I ask if this is a conscious choice.
“I’m just a normal guy,” he explains, adding: “I guess [headphones] Being affordable is an important thing.” It’s pretty surprising to hear that from any professional athlete, let alone a footballer, so Kane seems more socially conscious than most. “Not everyone can afford the big luxury brands,” he says.
I follow up by asking what Kane thinks of Fifa’s completely insane (my words, not his) plan to host the 2030 World Cup on three continents and have fans travel odd miles to support, given his views on the environment and cost of living. I do. teams. He refuses to withdraw by applying diplomacy. However, England manager Gareth Southgate reportedly stated that he was “not a fan” when speaking to the media ahead of the team’s final matches in October.
One of the traits that successful businessmen and sports stars share is the ability to overcome challenges.
His Harry Kane Foundation helps young people improve their mental health, so I asked him for his top tip for building resilience.
“I’ve learned a lot about my work ethic and mindset, knowing that I can get through tough moments and come out the other side. If something doesn’t work out, I remind myself that the odds are now in my favor. “The probability of another mishap is lower than that of a missed opportunity.”
It’s a good idea, although the math seems a bit iffy; Still, Kane has a lot to say about his personal blueprint for perfection. I want to understand how the experiences he has gained over all his years as an elite competitor can help us mortals outside the sporting cauldron. What gold did Harry collect?
“Instead of sulking, blaming others, or whining, I take responsibility for my actions and choices, I take responsibility for myself. This was a big thing I learned throughout my career; “To enjoy every moment, good or bad.” And in fact, no one accused him of evading responsibility.
To warm up, we chat about the music he likes and what tunes he would play in the team’s locker room if he was allowed to DJ. After all, everyone wants to do this once.
At this, Kane perks up and is clearly enjoying that we’re getting to the fun part. “I don’t choose the dressing room music. “I’ll leave that to some of the other boys,” he chuckles. Even so, all it takes is a gentle nudge from Harry to give us a glimpse into his personal soundscape. “I’m into my country music right now,” he says, leaning forward conspiratorially, “…a little bit of Luke Combs lately.”
Since I’m not a country music fan and haven’t heard of multi-platinum selling artist Luke Combs, I ask if Kane has ever tried line dancing, which is honestly the only cultural reference I can think of in the genre. “I don’t do any line dancing, no,” he says calmly, as if it’s the most logical question of the entire interview.
“I played some country before [a match] “A match day in the dressing room isn’t going to go well for some players,” he concludes. So if that’s Harry’s musical master plan, he’ll definitely need headphones.
Harry Kane is the owner and brand ambassador of Our Pure Planet www.ourpureplanet.com.