Kane says knighthood would feel 'weird' after becoming first English Ballon d'Or winner since 2001

Harry Kane has said a knighthood would feel “weird” despite acknowledging he would be “massively proud” to receive one, speaking to reporters after Bayern Munich’s 6-1 DFB-Pokal victory over Magdeburg on Wednesday — just 48 hours after collecting the Ballon d’Or in Paris.

The England captain, who scored 73 goals across last season for club and country, became the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001. He joins Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen as the only English recipients of the trophy.

“I wouldn’t say no to it, that’s for sure,” Kane said when asked about a potential knighthood. “If it happens it’ll be incredible, and something I’ll be massively proud of. But I don’t want to get too carried away.”

Asked specifically how he would feel about the title, he was candid: “It would sound good, but I’d feel weird everyone calling me Sir. So we’ll just keep it as Harry for now.”

Bookmaker William Hill has priced Kane at 3-1 to receive a knighthood by 2030. A Downing Street spokeswoman confirmed that Prime Minister Andy Burnham had passed on his congratulations, but declined to be drawn on the honours process. “I think everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football, and this is a very special moment for him and the country,” she said, “but, as ever, I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.”

Kane watched Wednesday’s cup win from the bench, taking in the occasion after a hectic two days. “So much has happened in 48 hours,” he reflected. “It was nice to kind of be back a bit in normality, seeing the fans, getting the reception before the game. It’s been a whirlwind of a 48 hours, and it’s nice to just be here and feel at home.”