Ballon d'Or winner Kane rules out Premier League return to chase Shearer's record

Harry Kane has ruled out a return to the Premier League to chase Alan Shearer’s all-time scoring record, saying his ambitions lie firmly with Bayern Munich and the England national team after collecting the Ballon d’Or in London on Monday.

Kane left Tottenham Hotspur three years ago with 213 Premier League goals to his name — 47 short of Shearer’s benchmark of 260 — and his move to Germany has since yielded two Bundesliga titles, a German Cup, and now the game’s most prestigious individual award. In 159 appearances for Bayern he has scored 156 goals.

“Not at the moment, not right now,” Kane said when asked whether he might one day return to England to overtake Shearer. “I’m loving life in Munich. Bayern are such a great club. We have an amazing team, a great coach. So yeah, right now that’s where my focus is, and I’m extremely happy, and to be winning awards like this just shows why I made the move in the first place.”

At 33, Kane insists he intends to play at the highest level well into his late thirties, and he was unambiguous about what matters most. “To win a major trophy with England, it’s my No 1 priority for sure,” he said, adding that Champions League glory with Bayern remains a central club objective.

“There’s always ambition, there’s always dreams for new achievements. I still have a lot to achieve in this game. I’ve learned in a career, in life, you don’t really have much of a say. You just have to go with the flow, believe in what you’re going to do, and just go full gas.”

Kane celebrated with family and friends in London before catching an early flight back to Munich to train ahead of a German Cup fixture on Wednesday. He also revealed that Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany, currently hospitalised with a viral infection after collapsing during a training session, called him on the morning of the ceremony to offer his congratulations.

“He phoned me this morning, bright and early at 9am,” Kane said. “He just wanted to wish me all the best, good luck. I asked him how he was doing, he said he feels good, he’s on the mend.”