Harry Kane says he intends to thank Rio Ferdinand in person after the former England defender publicly backed him to win the Ballon d’Or.
Ferdinand described Kane as the only deserving winner after the Bayern Munich striker scored 73 goals in a single season, won the European Golden Boot and became the second-highest scorer in a season in football history behind only Messi.
“Ballon d’Or! Ballon d’Or! 73 goals in a single season! In football history, only Messi has scored more goals than Kane in a single season. He won the European Golden Boot. Who else, guys? Who else deserves the Ballon d’Or besides Kane? You’re kidding me, guys… There’s only one Ballon d’Or winner, and that’s Kane,” Ferdinand said in a video shown to Kane during an exclusive interview with French media outlet Telefoot.
Kane responded: “Haha, thank you so much, Rio! I’ve received a lot of similar supportive messages lately, and all I can say is sincere thanks to everyone who has publicly spoken out for me.”
He added that Ferdinand was “one of the greatest centre-backs in English football history” and said: “Although we’re not particularly close personally, we’ve met several times in interviews and other settings. I definitely want to meet up with him in person and thank him personally.”
Kane said the public support had made him feel “incredibly honoured”, adding that he had never been someone who boasted about himself. However, he said it made him proud to see people within football openly support his candidacy.
Asked whether the Ballon d’Or had become a personal ambition, Kane said winning the award would be a “huge ambition and pursuit”.
“When I first started my football journey, my dream was just to play professional football, to play for Tottenham Hotspur, and to wear the England jersey. Now I have achieved all of these,” he said.
Kane stressed that the final decision was outside his control and that his attention had already moved to the new season. He said his priorities were improving his own game, leading Bayern Munich and helping his team-mates perform better.
He also acknowledged the strength of this year’s shortlist, which includes Mbappe, Dembele, Lamine Yamal and Rodri. Kane highlighted Michael Olise’s performances in the new season and in previous major tournaments, saying there were “simply too many top players”.
Kane said football’s subjectivity was part of its appeal, with supporters valuing individual skill, goalscoring, defensive strength or all-round performances in different ways.
Asked what example he wanted to set for young English players, particularly future candidates for the England number nine shirt, Kane said the team must always come before the individual.
He urged young strikers to accept the sacrifice, focus and hard work required to reach the top. Kane also noted that his own career had included loan spells and difficult periods, but said he had continued to believe in his ability and train as hard as possible.
His current aim, he said, is to perform at the highest level for as long as possible.
