Harry Kane discusses the extraordinary talents of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, explaining why he felt he would never win the Ballon d’Or while playing for Tottenham.

Harry Kane is setting his sights on emulating the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by clinching the prestigious Ballon d’Or as he enters the latter stages of his remarkable career.

The England international has been a prolific striker in European football for over a decade and is currently leading the scoring charts in the Bundesliga, having netted an impressive 21 goals in just 24 appearances for Bayern Munich.

Despite his remarkable goal-scoring record, the Ballon d’Or has remained elusive for Kane. The former Tottenham Hotspur star has never finished higher than 10th in the voting, a surprising statistic given his reputation as one of Europe’s most lethal finishers.

When asked if he still harbours hopes of winning the award, Kane responded with confidence: “One hundred percent. I felt that last season as well. I scored over 40 goals, but obviously, I was never going to win the Ballon d’Or because we didn’t win the team trophies.”

He continued, “At Spurs, no matter how many goals I scored, unless you win the title and the Champions League, you’re not going to be in those conversations. I finished 10th in the Ballon d’Or while at Spurs, and that was as high as I probably could have finished.”

Kane believes that to be considered for such accolades, one must not only score a significant number of goals but also secure team trophies. “Those opportunities are there. That’s probably what I mean in terms of being respected more worldwide, on the bigger stage,” he said. “That is definitely something I would love to try to achieve.”

As England’s all-time leading goalscorer, Kane is aware that some fans may be growing “bored” of his consistent performances at the pinnacle of European football. However, he insists that his time at the top is far from over, and that the footballing world is always eager for the next big star.

“It’s like when Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were throwing these crazy numbers out there, and the next season they’d score 40 goals instead of 50. It was like they were having a bad season,” he explained. “People take it for granted, and maybe a little bit with England as well.”

Kane has amassed 69 international goals, and he feels that when he scores against teams like Albania or Latvia, the expectation diminishes the significance of his achievements. “If I was 25 now and doing what I’m doing, the excitement around me would maybe be a little bit different to what it is now,” he reflected.

Despite the scrutiny, Kane remains undeterred. “I’m excited for these games and the games ahead,” he stated.

Currently, Bayern Munich sits six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after 26 matches, with Kane having scored a remarkable 76 goals in 82 appearances since his departure from Tottenham.

However, some critics in Germany believe that Kane has yet to make a significant impact. He acknowledges that criticism can be tough, but he considers himself his own harshest critic. “It’s hard; sometimes it motivates me,” he admitted. “I try to stay away from it as much as I can. Ultimately, I criticise myself more than anyone could do on the outside, but I always use it as fuel to prove people wrong.”

Kane also noted the extreme fluctuations in public perception in modern football. “You go from not scoring for a couple of games, to people saying he’s not sharp enough.. to scoring and you’re a Ballon d’Or contender. The difference is too high and too low,” he said.

“I know what I’ve done in my career, and I feel like I have a lot of respect from many football people out there. I’ve achieved a lot in my career.”