Before Bayern Munich's Champions League away match against Atletico Madrid, Bayern forward Harry Kane was interviewed by Amazon Prime. He spoke about winning the Ballon d'Or, his personal goals, contract extension talks with Bayern, and the team's recent injuries and personnel changes.
Reporter: Harry, you're standing here now as a Ballon d'Or winner. Congratulations, we are all very, very happy for you. I have a short video message for you, a little surprise. I'll hand you the iPad, you can press play, and then share your reaction with us.
Kane: Okay, thank you.
Alan Shearer: Hi Harry, it's Alan Shearer. Congratulations on winning the Ballon d'Or, Harry, on behalf of everyone at Prime. It's truly, truly fantastic. So, what's the next big award you want to win in your career? Don't tell me it's breaking the Premier League goal record! Go and sign that contract extension at Bayern! Good luck!
Reporter: What do you have to say about that?
Kane: Look at him, he's on the golf course!
Reporter: I know, of course!
Kane: He's enjoying life! Well, thank you very much for his message, I really appreciate it. As for the next big goal, a lot of it is still the same. The Champions League has always been my big dream and goal. We've been very close in the past few years, especially since I joined Bayern, and I feel we're getting closer and stronger. So if it can be achieved, that would definitely be a dream.
As for the Premier League goal record, it certainly won't be broken in the short term, so he can rest easy for now. But overall, there's no doubt that winning the Champions League is my goal, and winning a trophy with England is my biggest dream, whether it's the Euros or the World Cup. So there are still many goals to achieve, and I'm still hungry for what's to come.
Reporter: Since Alan said "Go and sign that contract extension," does that mean you definitely have to sign it?
Kane: I know he'd be very happy if I signed it. But as we discussed in previous press conferences, our negotiations are progressing very well, and we're very close to reaching an agreement. So I believe there will be some definite news in the next week or so.
Reporter: That's great. Now that you've had a week to digest everything that's happened, how does it feel to be named the best player in the world?
Kane: It's truly incredible. It's been an extremely emotional week. Last Monday's awards ceremony itself far exceeded my imagination. Winning the award, celebrating with the fans outside in London, having my family and friends by my side to share that moment with me, and receiving all the congratulatory messages, support and love from all sides, it all truly overwhelmed me. To be named the best player in the world is really special, and I'm enjoying every moment of it. But as always, at the end of the day there are still games to play, and I have to focus on the game. Tomorrow night we have a tough match ahead.
Reporter: I think Son Heung-min's reaction was the best.
Kane: Yes, that was brilliant. Absolutely fantastic.
Reporter: Let's talk about the future. Do you have plans for June 5, 2027? Do you know what will happen that day?
Kane: I guess we'll be here then, hopefully. This is my first time back at this stadium since that Champions League final, so I hope to create better memories, especially in tomorrow night's game. In fact, we'll be playing here again with England next week, and a future Champions League final will also be held here. So we, or rather I, have the chance to erase some painful memories and make this a lucky place for us.
This will be my first time facing Atletico Madrid in my career, so I'm very much looking forward to it. I've heard the atmosphere in the stadium here is fantastic, so I'm excited for this match. I know it will be tough, a hard-fought battle. They play a very aggressive style, with a lot of one-on-one duels all over the pitch. But at the moment our whole team is in pretty good shape, and although we currently have some injuries and absences, I think we're very eager to unite and show our true strength tomorrow night.
Reporter: As you mentioned, the team is facing not only injury problems. Kimmich's father sadly passed away, and then there's Kompany's sudden absence. How do you define your current role during this challenging and difficult period?
Kane: I think for me and a few other leaders and experienced players in the team, we need to step up, not only on the pitch but also off it and in all aspects of the dressing room. There have indeed been too many emotional ups and downs recently. We just talked about the joy of my high last week, but we've also experienced huge lows, such as Joshua's family tragedy. We must stand fully behind him and support him in the face of this terrible news.
Obviously, the head coach can't be on the touchline to direct the team. When your coach is absent, everyone must stick together tightly and show unity. I think the coaching staff, Aaron Danks, Flo and René, have done an incredible job taking over. I think this also shows what an excellent coach Vincent is: even without him physically present, the team can still maintain its established style of play and expected level.
We've had some very good results recently. So from my personal perspective, it's about trying to lead by example, especially in a tough away environment and a difficult match like tomorrow night's, and trying to be the one who helps the team get the desired result.
And I believe that when we look back at this stage of the season next March or April, we will see it as a moment when we truly came together. That will be a huge help to us in our pursuit of success.
Reporter: Finally, despite all the challenges you just mentioned, you remain unbeaten this season. So what needs to be done on the pitch tomorrow night to come away with a win?
Kane: We have to be very good in possession. We know they like to man-mark all over the pitch and be physical in challenges. If we play sharply enough, at a fast enough tempo, and make full use of our players who are excellent in one-on-one situations, things will go our way. They recover very quickly and protect their box very well, so you won't have a lot of time to waste chances. Their technical ability on the ball is also extremely threatening. I think outsiders sometimes underestimate their ability in possession because of their excellent defending, but they have extremely good players in transitions and on the counter-attack, and they are very organized when building up from the back.
So this is an excellent test for us. We are facing an extremely solid and strong team, one of the top teams in the Champions League in recent years. There is no doubt that we must give our all and perform at our best, and hopefully we can do that.
Reporter: Thank you very much, have a good evening.
Kane: Thank you very much.
umaryoung
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The Best player