Harry Kane: Breaking Bundesliga records despite critics

Another day, another hat trick. As Harry Kane completed a seventh Bundesliga treble since joining Bayern Munich at the start of last season, he broke another record in Germany's top flight. The English striker has taken just 43 matches to score 50 goals, seven games quicker than Erling Haaland, who left Borussia Dortmund for Manchester City in 2022.

"Harry Kane needs his own ball bag by now," said Bayern sporting director Max Eberl after the 3-0 win over Augsburg in late November, referring to the tradition of hat-trick scorers keeping the match ball. "He always scores so many goals, he always gets to take balls home with him. We'll soon run out of them for training."

The match ball budget is of no consequence to the Bavarian giants, whose sights are set firmly on reclaiming the title that slipped from their grasp for the first time in 12 years last season. That surprising loss to an inspired, and unbeaten, Bayer Leverkusen side kept Kane from breaking his trophy drought.

Despite a stellar record in Germany on top of more than 200 Premier League goals for his boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur and two major final appearances for England, silverware has eluded the 31-year-old. But with Bayern sitting clear at the top at the Bundesliga and looking strong in the Champions League, there is a growing sense this season could change all that.

Praise from Bayern big names

"It was somehow typical Harry Kane," said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany after Kane broke the record in a game that was 0-0 for the first hour. "It was close in the first half, close, close, close, and then it happens, I think three goals in 15 minutes. Of course, he can do that."

His teammate Joshua Kimmich was also quick to praise the man signed for €95 million, another Bundesliga record. "World class," concluded the Germany captain, who went on to say that the Bayern players "trust him blindly" from the penalty spot, after he tucked away a 24th and 25th consecutive penalty in the Augsburg game. His last miss was for England against France in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal.

That miss, and a series of lethargic displays at Euro 2024, have led fans and pundits in Kane's home country to call for the England captain to be dropped. He missed out for England's recent 3-0 Nations League victory over Greece, where replacement Ollie Watkins scored.

Kane said at the time he was a "little bit shocked" at being dropped by interim coach Lee Carsley, who will make way for German coach Thomas Tuchel in January.

"I've made it clear that I want to start every game," Kane told the BBC at the time. "Sometimes I feel like there's a perception that maybe I'm just here because I'm the captain, but it's not the case. I'm in the best form I've been in, in my career."

Still as good as ever

Kane reiterated that he felt as good as ever after the Augsburg hat-trick, adding that he'd do his "talking on the pitch."  He also said he was "experienced enough to know that comes with being one of the top players, one of the top strikers."

There's little doubt in the minds of anyone at Bayern that he remains at the top of his game, regardless of the misgivings in England. With Tuchel, who coached Kane during his first season at Bayern, set to take the reigns until the 2026 World Cup, he looks well set to continue for England.

"I feel very privileged to be his coach. The guy is super humble, he's the first out there on the pitch every single day and anything you ask of him, he will do it," said Tuchel of Kane while the pair were at Bayern. "He's a huge personality who becomes a shark on the field, because he wants to score, he wants to win, and he does it on a daily basis."

The combination of killer instinct on the pitch and consistent professionalism off it have helped Kane to a string of records and personal achievements. Will this be the season he finally gets the trophy he craves?

Edited by: Louis Oelofse