Harry Kane has defended his decision to swap Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich, insisting he has no regrets despite Michael Owen branding the move “nuts.”
The England captain, now 32, ended a 19-year spell in north London when he joined Bayern in the summer of 2023.
At the time, Kane was just 48 goals short of surpassing Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record, having already amassed 213 league goals.
Owen, speaking earlier this month, said Kane had made a mistake by leaving England’s top flight while on the brink of history.
Harry Kane has defended his decision to swap Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich, insisting he has no regrets despite Michael Owen branding the move “nuts"
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But Kane, fresh from lifting the Bundesliga title in May, has now hit back, stressing that his motivation was about competing at the very highest level rather than chasing statistics.
“I heard it,” Kane admitted, ahead of England’s World Cup qualifying clash against Serbia on Tuesday night.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I've spent a bit of time with him but don't know him well.
"Obviously, he is a Premier League great and an England great as well, so I'll respect him as a person, but ultimately as he will know, everyone's career is different – everyone's decisions and motivations are different.
“I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy, but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible, and I'm really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final.
“I feel I'm improving as a player, I'm pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring.
"It's hard not to hear things these days, but the decisions are best for me and I'm really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now.”
Owen, a former Ballon d’Or winner, had made the comments on Rio Ferdinand's podcast.
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Harry Kane has been sensational for Bayern Munich ever since his move to Germany
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“Harry Kane is just lethal; he's a brilliant finisher," he said.
"I disagreed with him going to Germany; I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts.
“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.
“If you're that desperate to win something, then do another year and then go.
"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.
“A great achievement would have been being the top goalscorer ever in the Premier League.
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Harry Kane scored 213 Premier League goals for Tottenham during his time in north London
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"That would have been unbelievable, and he could have won things along the way.”
Kane’s choice to leave Spurs remains one of the defining debates of his career. On one side is the lure of individual immortality in England; on the other, the pursuit of silverware at one of Europe’s most decorated clubs.
By joining Bayern, Kane immediately found himself in title races and Champions League knockout ties, experiences he had long craved but rarely tasted in north London.