Harry Kane names FOUR reasons for joining Bayern Munich as Michael Owen claims are batted away

Harry Kane has responded to Michael Owen with four reasons he didn’t go to Bayern Munich “just for the trophy” after the suggestion made by the former England striker.

Kane left England in the summer of 2023 to join Bayern Munich. It was something of a shock given he’d been so impactful at Tottenham, pushing himself to second on the all-time Premier League scorers list with 213 goals – 47 away from record-holder Alan Shearer.

Though Kane could have stayed in England, he joined serial Bundesliga champions Bayern, and in his second season, won the first trophy of his career – the Bundesliga – before adding the German Super Cup this season.

Former England striker Owen revealed he disagreed with Kane’s decision to leave England for Germany, but the Three Lions captain has hit back.

Kane said: “I heard it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I’ve spent a bit of time with him but don’t know him well. Obviously, he is a Premier League great and an England great as well, so I’ll respect him as a person, but ultimately as he will know, everyone’s career is different – everyone’s decisions and motivations are different.

“I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy, but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible, and I’m really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final.

“I feel I’m improving as a player, I’m pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring. It’s hard not to hear things these days, but the decisions are best for me and I’m really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now.”

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What did Owen say?

Owen’s exact criticism of Kane came on Rio Ferdinand Presents, as he said: “Harry Kane is just lethal; he’s a brilliant finisher. I disagreed with him going to Germany; I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts.

You’re on the verge of being the all-time Premier League goal scorer, you’ve got kids that are all in school. I mean, I just couldn’t see it. I don’t see it.

“If you’re that desperate to win something, then do another year and then go. It’s like if you go up and move to Celtic and win the league, you win every year, but there’s no great achievement in that.

“A great achievement would have been being the top goal scorer ever in the Premier League. That would have been unbelievable, and he could have won things along the way.”

Had Kane seen out another year in England, there’s almost no chance he’d have made up the 47-goal gap to Shearer in the league, so he might have then been convinced by another season once he got closer.

Kane round-up: Bayern exit mooted

Kane’s exit from Bayern sooner rather than later has been mooted, with journalist Raphael Honigstein stating: “It’s no big secret that people in Germany don’t expect Harry Kane to see out his career at Bayern.

“I think Bayern are braced for the possibility that he will leave slightly earlier than his contract, which runs until 2027.”

Meanwhile, Ferdinand feels Manchester United not signing Kane when he left Tottenham was a huge error.

He said: “That’s the biggest mistake I think they’ve made in the last 10 years. I think if they go and pay the number that Spurs want, they would have got him.

“And if we’re to believe that, then I think if it didn’t happen because of a couple million here or there, I think it was a terrible decision.”

Was Kane right to leave England?