Harry Kane defended from criticism in German press by Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany after England captain scores hat-trick in demolition of Stuttgart

Kane got back among the goals on Saturday as Bayern thumped Stuttgart 4-0. The England captain scored a superb hat-trick to bounce back from an uncharacteristic three-game drought, during which time his side lost to Aston Villa in the Champions League and drew with both Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.

Kane was branded "invisible" after Bayern's defeat to Villa, while his performance against Leverkusen led German media to question his record in big games. Now, Kompany has defended the striker, insisting that he will continue to make a serious impact this season.

Kompany told reporters: "To be honest, I didn't waste any seconds thinking about whether he scored or not [in the past games]. I know what qualities he has. He's always hungry, even in training. Sometimes we forget how hard Harry works for the team. He's always scored goals, and will always score goals. That won't change."

Bayern play Barcelona in a mighty Champions League clash in midweek. They then return to Bundesliga action on Sunday against Bochum.