Harry Kane has said that he would find it strange to be called “Sir” if he earns a knighthood after winning the Ballon d’Or.
Kane became the first Englishman since Michael Owen — and only the fifth Englishman in history — to win the prestigious award on Monday night.
Many are predicting a knighthood for the England captain now he has been crowned the best footballer in the world. Speaking to reporters after Bayern Munich‘s DFB-Pokal victory over Magdeburg on Wednesday, Kane said he would be “proud” to be knighted.
“I wouldn’t say no to it [a knighthood,] that’s for sure,” he said. “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.
On the prospect of being referred to as “Sir,” Kane said: “It would sound good, but I’d feel weird everyone calling me Sir. So we’ll just keep it as Harry for now.”
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham offered his congratulations to Kane on Monday.
“The PM would like to congratulate Harry Kane on winning the Ballon d’Or,” a Number 10 spokeswoman said.
“To be the first Englishman to win it in 25 years is an extraordinary achievement, and what a moment to do it here at home.
“Seventy years after Sir Stanley Matthews won the inaugural award, it caps a remarkable season and Harry continues to set a brilliant example to young players across the country, and the PM knows the whole nation will be incredibly proud of him.
“And, hopefully, there’s another trophy to celebrate with England before too long.”
When asked whether the Prime Minister would like to see the player knighted, she said: “On your question about a knighthood, 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.
“But, as ever, I’m not going to pre-empt the honours process.
Kane did not play in Bayern’s 6-1 win on Wednesday but his teammates still scored a flurry of goals despite his absence.
“So much has happened in 48 hours. It was nice to kind of be back a bit in normality, seeing the fans, getting the reception before the game,” he said.
“It’s been a whirlwind of a 48 hours, and it’s nice to just be here and feel at home.”
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When asked if he was rested because he celebrated his Ballon d’Or win a bit too hard, Kane said: “No, I didn’t party too hard. I could have played, but to be honest, Danksy [Bayern’s assistant coach Aaron Danks] spoke to me and he already said that he was thinking of trying to give me a break in this game, even before the Ballon d’Or.
“Because I’ve played a lot of games in the last six weeks or so.
“And it just worked well. The guys who started out really well, there was a moment in the game where he was thinking about bringing me on and we scored the fourth goal and kind of killed the game off. So all in all, I think it was important to get a rest.
“It’s been just a big emotional load, going through the big high on Monday and big game on Saturday now as well. So I’ll train tomorrow and be ready for that.”
Bayern Munich take on their rivals Borussia Dortmund in a huge clash — with the two sides currently occupying first and second place in the Bundesliga — on Oct. 31 at the Allianz Arena.
