Harry Kane Would Feel Weird Being Called Sir After Ballon d’Or Win

• Harry Kane says he “wouldn’t say no” to a knighthood but would feel “weird” being called Sir, per Sky Sports.
• The England captain, 33, won the Ballon d’Or on Monday, the first Englishman to take it for 25 years.
• Some bookmakers price him at 3-1 to be knighted by 2030.

The Ballon d’Or Winner Who Wants to Stay Plain Harry

Harry Kane would accept a knighthood, but he does not want anyone calling him Sir. The England captain was asked about the idea on Wednesday night, after Bayern Munich beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the DFB-Pokal. “It would sound good, but I’d feel weird everyone calling me Sir,” he replied. “So we’ll just keep it as Harry for now.” The question arrived two nights after Kane collected the Ballon d’Or, the award that ended England’s 25-year Ballon d’Or wait.

What Kane Said About the Honour

Kane did not rule the honour out. “I wouldn’t say no to it, that’s for sure,” he told reporters. “If it happens it’ll be incredible, and something I’ll be massively proud of. But I don’t want to get too carried away.”

Downing Street has not moved beyond congratulations. A No 10 spokeswoman passed on Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s good wishes to Kane on Tuesday and described it as “a very special moment for him and the country”. Asked about a knighthood, she said Kane “has given an enormous amount to English football” and added: “I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.”

Kane earned the attention with 73 goals across all competitions last season for Bayern and England. France Football gave him the trophy ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.

A Night on the Bench and a Party in London

Kane remained on the bench for the 6-1 win over Magdeburg. With videos on social media showing him at an after party in London, reporters asked whether he was rested for partying too hard.

“No, I didn’t party too hard,” Kane said. “I could have played.” He explained that Bayern assistant coach Aaron Danks had been thinking of giving him a break even before the Ballon d’Or, as Kane has played a lot of games in the last six weeks or so. There was a point when his introduction was being considered, then Bayern scored a fourth goal and “kind of killed the game off”.

He also spoke about returning to Germany. “It was nice to kind of be back a bit in normality, seeing the fans, getting the reception before the game,” Kane said. “It’s been a whirlwind of a 48 hours, and it’s nice to just be here and feel at home.”

Presents for Bayern and England Teammates

Kane has a gift list to work through. In a separate interview after the ceremony he said that “some of the guys have asked for watches or something similar” and that he would find something for teammates at Bayern and with England. “I’ll definitely get everyone a nice present,” he said. England teammate Declan Rice had backed Kane to win the award before the vote.

In that interview he also described the evening itself as “a completely different set of emotions than at a football match”, with a lot of nervousness and a lot of waiting. He said messages from friends, family and fans were “almost overwhelming”.

The English Names on the Trophy

Michael Owen was the last English winner, in 2001. Before him the list ran through Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan. Kane joins that list at 33. His route to the trophy began with EFL loans, which Sherwood credits for building him.

What Comes Next

Kane has little time to enjoy the attention. Bayern have a big game on Saturday, and he said the Ballon d’Or has been “a big emotional load”. His plan was simple: train the next day and be ready. Downing Street will not pre-empt the honours process. For now he is Harry.