Gnabry backs Kane to end England's 24-year Ballon d'Or drought ahead of Arsenal clash

Harry Kane has done enough to become the first Englishman in 24 years to win the Ballon d’Or, according to Bayern Munich teammate Serge Gnabry, with the award set to be presented in London on Monday and a high-profile Champions League meeting with Arsenal arriving days beforehand.

Kane, who scored 73 goals for club and country last season, is among the leading candidates for football’s most prestigious individual honour. Michael Owen remains the last Englishman to claim it, winning in 2001 — the fourth overall after Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton and Kevin Keegan.

“He had an incredible year, so for me of course he’s done enough,” said Gnabry, a former Arsenal winger who now lines up alongside Kane at Bayern. “He’s showed his quality and he’s a key player to our team — those are big attributes to win such a trophy. I would wish it for him, for sure.”

Kane’s chief rivals for the award include Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

Bayern host Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in the Champions League league phase, a fixture that carries particular significance for Kane, who scored 14 of his 15 career goals against the Gunners during his time at Tottenham. The 33-year-old said he was relishing the occasion: “When you’re playing against one of the best teams in Europe, you always have to savour moments like this. We’re up for the challenge.”

Bayern’s preparations have been disrupted by head coach Vincent Kompany, who missed training and pre-match media commitments due to a virus. Assistant coach Aaron Danks — a former Aston Villa and Middlesbrough coach who previously stepped in when Kompany was suspended against Paris Saint-Germain last season — is expected to take charge if Kompany remains unavailable.

Danks was equally effusive about Kane’s qualities. “His all-round game is at such a high level,” he said. “He can be our best defender in training if he wants. He can be our best playmaker. He can go and score goals. I have learnt a lot working with him.”