Harry Kane has put José Mourinho back in the middle of the story around his rise, saying the former Tottenham manager helped change how he played and still deserves his respect years later. Kane said Mourinho told him he could help him reach the level of Ronaldo and Messi, and that belief stuck with him.
Mourinho's role in Kane's development
Kane and Mourinho crossed paths between 2019 and 2021 at Tottenham, and the Bayern München striker said the discussion around Ronaldo and Messi was part of a wider shift in how he saw himself. "It got spoken about a lot because I said I wanted to be on Ronaldo and Messi’s level and he said that he could help with that, and he did," Kane said.
He added: "Jose was great. He developed my game in a different way; he gave me a lot of freedom; he allowed me to exploit all my qualities." Kane also said Mourinho made his stamp on him, and that he respected him for his personality and demeanour.
The Ballon d'Or and what Kane values most
Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or, but he still framed team success as the main aim. "Team trophies are why we play football, the team aspect of our sport is really, really important," he said, and he added that he would choose the Champions League if he had to pick.
That sits neatly with his Bayern form, where he has 4 goals in 3 Champions League appearances this season and 4 goals in 8 Bundesliga appearances. Bayern are 14th in the Champions League league phase on 5 points from 3 matches, while they are top of the Bundesliga on 18 points from 8 matches.
The Ballon d'Or has given Kane another personal milestone, but the way he talks about Mourinho makes clear he still sees that old Tottenham spell as part of the route to the top rather than a separate chapter. Bayern's next European run now has to carry the same weight in his head as the individual award did on the night.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
