Speaking to GOAL, Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane has revealed the player he idolised growing up. In a game of 'Winner Stays On', the 32-year-old makes some difficult choices as he picks between some legendary current and former players, before eventually ending up with his champion, a forward he admits he "loved" watching as a boy.
Getty Images SportKane plays 'Winner Stays On' – striker edition
In a quickfire game of 'Winner Stays On' with GOAL, Kane had to work his way through a knockout bracket of eight legendary forwards and strikers, from Ronaldo Nazario, to Dennis Bergkamp, Luis Suarez, Bayern Munich GOAT Gerd Muller, and more.
He quickly eliminated Suarez in favour of Ronaldo, but made sure to state his "love" for the ex-Liverpool and Barcelona star. Sergio Aguero fell to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, then Kane opted for Muller over three-time Ballon d'Or winner Marco van Basten, clearly keyed into Bayern's rich heritage. Former Arsenal magician Bergkamp completed Kane's top four, picked over Premier League cult icon Eric Cantona.
Kane then kept Ronaldo over Ibrahimovic, and Muller over Bergkamp. But even with Muller, such a pivotal individual in Bayern's storied history, the England captain couldn't not choose 'Brazilian Ronaldo' as his overall winner: "Loved him [growing up], he was my favourite striker."
AdvertisementWatch the clipAFPRonaldo an obvious choice
Since moving to Munich in 2023, Kane will no doubt have been regaled with countless stories about Muller, scorer of a club-record 565 goals in 605 appearances for Bayern between 1964 and 1979. Muller, who sadly passed away in 2021, had finished his career before Kane was even born, which likely gave Ronaldo the final edge when he was asked to choose between them.
Born in 1993, Kane may have been too young to remember Ronaldo at his explosive, electrifying best for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona, before knee injuries threatened to ruin his career. But he was the perfect age to see the Brazilian steer his country to World Cup glory in 2002, completing an incredible redemption and scoring eight goals along the way. Ronaldo won the Ballon d'Or for the second time that year and went on to spearhead Real Madrid's Galacticos in style.
Getty Images SportKane's World Cup dream
Kane has already matched Ronaldo in the sense that both men have won a World Cup Golden Boot – the Englishman bagging his in 2018 with six goals enroute to a fourth-place finish with England.
What the Brazilian has that Kane doesn't is a World Cup winner's medal. But his Three Lions will be among the favourites in North America next summer after reaching back-to-back European Championship finals and once more making light work of qualifying. Kane himself is in the best form of his career after banging in 103 goals for Bayern in little more than two seasons and is fast making his all-time England goal record look impossible to beat. Turning 33 this summer, this is his best chance.