Two years after Harry Kane's departure to Bayern Munich, former England striker Michael Owen remains adamant the move was misguided.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Owen branded Kane's 2023 transfer decision as "nuts" and continues to question the striker's choice to leave Tottenham.
The former Liverpool forward expressed his bewilderment at Kane abandoning his pursuit of Alan Shearer's Premier League scoring record.
At the time of his departure, Kane had amassed 213 league goals and needed just 48 more to surpass Shearer's historic tally.
Michael Owen branded Harry Kane 'nuts' over leaving the Premier League
|PA
"Harry Kane is just lethal; he's a brilliant finisher," Owen stated during the podcast appearance. "I disagreed with him going to Germany; I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts."
Owen highlighted practical concerns about the transfer, particularly regarding Kane's family circumstances. The striker relocated his entire household to southern Germany, including his school-aged children.
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"You're on the verge of being the all-time Premier League goal scorer, you've got kids that are all in school. I mean, I just couldn't see it. I don't see it," Owen explained.
The former England international, who netted 150 Premier League goals during his career, placing him eleventh on the all-time list, suggested Kane could have delayed his move abroad.
"If you're that desperate to win something, then do another year and then go," Owen argued.
Kane had spent 19 years with Tottenham before making the switch to the Bundesliga champions in his quest for silverware.
Kane's Bayern Munich tenure has proven remarkably productive, with the England captain finding the net 91 times across 100 matches.
Following a trophy-less debut campaign, he finally claimed his maiden senior honor by helping Bayern reclaim the Bundesliga title last season.
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Harry Kane won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich last season, the first trophy of his career
| ReutersThe striker's emotional response to breaking his trophy drought was evident during the celebrations.
"It's been a long time coming," Kane revealed after being soaked with beer by his teammates.
"It means more than any of the goalscoring awards, for sure. There's no secret that there has been this one thing that has been missing from my resume."
His wife Katie Goodland and three of their four children were present on the pitch during the title celebrations in May, appearing content with their new life in Bavaria.
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Michael Owen reckons winning the Bundesliga is hardly a massive achievement with Bayern Munich anyway
| PAOwen drew unfavorable comparisons between Kane's Bayern success and potential Premier League glory.
"It's like if you go up and move to Celtic and win the league, you win every year, but there's no great achievement in that," he remarked.
The former striker insisted that surpassing Shearer's record would have represented a far more significant accomplishment.
"A great achievement would have been being the top goal scorer ever in the Premier League. That would have been unbelievable, and he could have won things along the way," Owen stated.
Despite his criticism of the transfer decision, Owen acknowledged Kane's exceptional abilities.
"Anyway, we digress. Harry Kane, I love him. I think he is lethal. He's got balls of steel under pressure," he concluded, praising the striker's penalty-taking prowess and overall impact throughout his career.