The England captain is among the 30 nominees for this year’s award after a prolific campaign in which he scored 61 goals for Bayern in all competitions. Several Bayern players have publicly backed him, with Michael Olise among those to speak in his favour.
Kane was asked about the club’s support in an interview with FC Bayern Magazine 51 and said he appreciated the way his colleagues had rallied behind him.
“That makes me proud. I really appreciate how my colleagues and the club are getting behind me. We work extremely hard together and I work as hard as possible for the team. It’s really pleasing that they support me so much – I can only thank them for that.”
The ceremony will take place in London on 26 October, adding another layer to the occasion for Kane, who spent the majority of his career in England before moving to Bayern.
He is attempting to become the first English winner since Michael Owen collected the award in 2001. Bayern’s backing comes despite the club also having Michael Olise, Luis Díaz and Dayot Upamecano among the nominees.
L’Équipe reported earlier in September that Bayern had decided to put its weight behind Kane, with several team-mates appearing in a club video supporting his candidacy. The campaign has also generated backing from outside Munich, although the final vote will determine the winner.
Kane was also asked about the shirts he has collected during a career that has taken him across England and Europe. He explained that he generally keeps his own shirts from matches in which he reached personal milestones rather than regularly swapping them with opponents.
There have, however, been two notable exceptions.
“Not systematically, but I remember the teams and places. I mainly keep shirts from games in which I achieved a milestone. I’ve only rarely swapped jerseys in my career: once with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid and once with Wayne Rooney at Manchester United. The experiences are more important than the shirts for me.”
The exchange with Rooney is particularly significant given Kane’s place in England’s scoring history. Kane has since surpassed the former Manchester United striker’s total for the national team, while Ronaldo remains one of the most decorated forwards of his generation.
Kane’s focus, however, is on what happens next. Bayern Munich’s public support has made his Ballon d’Or candidacy a prominent part of October, but the striker has made clear that his attention remains on contributing to the team while the award approaches.