Harry Kane says he would be humbled to receive a knighthood but insists he would ask those around him to refrain from addressing him as 'Sir'. Speculation around a potential honor from the Royal Family has gathered momentum following his landmark Ballon d'Or victory on Monday.
The Bayern Munich forward claimed the prestigious award, becoming the first Englishman to do so since Michael Owen in 2001. An extraordinary 73-goal campaign, combined with an exceptional FIFA World Cup showing and a Bundesliga title, proved decisive in securing the accolade.
The prospect of a knighthood has dominated conversation this week, and Kane has weighed in on the subject. He told BILD : "I certainly wouldn't say no - I really appreciate it. If it came to that, it would be incredible and something I'd be incredibly proud of. But I don't want to get too carried away with it right now."
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When asked how 'Sir Harry Kane' sounded to him, the 33-year-old responded: "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 pipped Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to the honor, with one of his rivals extending his congratulations via social media, via The Mirror . After collecting his own Kopa trophy, Yamal posted: "Congratulations to the winners. My focus now returns to what's important, to make FC Barcelona win again."
Mbappé has kept a low profile, opting instead to post a photograph of himself dressed formally at the ceremony on Instagram. Kane revealed his excitement about returning home to his family and presenting his four children with the Ballon d'Or.
He said: "I'm really looking forward to seeing them again and showing them the trophy. I already know they'll try to play with it or pick it up - and it's quite heavy! I guess I'll have to keep an eye on that this time."
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Kane also conveyed his appreciation to his Bayern teammates for their warm welcome upon his return to the club, as they lined up in a guard of honor ahead of the DFB-Pokal match against Magdeburg. He said: "It's strange. I don't usually enjoy that sort of thing.
"When I went out to warm up and everyone was standing there applauding - I don't know, it's almost a little embarrassing. But of course, I realise it's a big deal."
The England captain plans to express his gratitude to both his club and international teammates with gifts acknowledging their role in securing the award. Kane added: "Some of the guys have asked for watches or something similar - so I'll have to come up with something nice for them, both at Bayern and with the England national team. I'll take care of it; I'll definitely get everyone a nice present."
