Following his Ballon d’Or victory, there’s been discussion in England about Harry Kane receiving a knighthood. Now, the Bayern star is responding to the speculation for the first time.
Harry Kane has just celebrated the greatest individual achievement of his career by winning the Ballon d’Or—but in England, people are already talking about the next extraordinary honor. Following the Bayern striker’s triumph, the debate over a possible knighthood has been reignited.
Several former English soccer greats have recently spoken out in favor of knighthood for Kane in recognition of his contributions to English soccer. Words of appreciation have also come from the British government, though no official decision has been made yet.
Now Kane himself has spoken out on the discussion for the first time. When asked how he feels about a possible knighthood, the 33-year-old replied after the 6-1 victory over Magdeburg: “I certainly wouldn’t say no—I’d really appreciate it. If it were to happen, it would be incredible and something I’d be incredibly proud of. But I don’t want to get too carried away by it right now.”
Kane on “Sir Harry”: “It sounds good”
The honorary title would also change Kane’s name: As a Knight Bachelor, he would officially be known as “Sir Harry Kane” in the future. When asked how that would sound to him, the Bayern star responded with a smile.
“It sounds good, but it would feel kind of strange if everyone called me ‘Sir’—so for now, I’ll just stick with Harry,” Kane explained.
The discussion has really picked up steam again following his Ballon d’Or win. On Monday in London, Kane became the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to be awarded the Ballon d’Or. It’s also a historic triumph for FC Bayern: no Bayern player had won the Ballon d’Or since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1981.
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Whether Kane will actually be knighted in the foreseeable future remains to be seen. Honors of this kind are announced in the United Kingdom at the turn of the year and on the King’s official birthday, among other occasions. Downing Street has recently been explicitly reluctant to preempt the formal honors process.
Kane himself is therefore holding back on high expectations. However, he is obviously not entirely averse to the idea of becoming “Sir Harry.”