'Hungry' Harry Kane's long wait for a trophy worked in Bayern Munich's favour, says Vincent Kompany

Kane’s long wait for a trophy finally ended last season when Bayern lifted their 34th Bundesliga title, ending years of mockery after failing to claim silverware with both Tottenham and England throughout his career. 

During his 11-year spell at Tottenham, Kane set record after record. He became Spurs’ all-time top scorer with 280 goals in all competitions, won three Golden Boots, and in the 2020-21 season became the first player to lead the league in both goals and assists since Andy Cole in 1993-94. On the international stage, Kane has been equally outstanding. He is England’s all-time leading goalscorer, having captained the team to the Euro 2024 final and a fourth-place finish at the 2018 World Cup, where he also won the Golden Boot.

However, failure to win a trophy resulted in the search for a new challenge, and the Englishman joined Bayern from Spurs in 2023. His first season in Germany ended in disappointment, though, as as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen ended the Bavarians’ decade-long dominance. Despite his 44 goals in all competitions, the team failed to win any silverware, which further sparked 'trophy curse' memes among fans. But those whispers have been silenced, with the striker setting several Bundesliga records.

Speaking before the clash against rivals Dortmund, Kompany said Kane’s long wait for the trophy has given him a special kind of drive that is now benefiting the entire team. "It may have helped that he didn't win many titles, because it kept him hungry, Kompany explained. "He's developed, and he has to want to. I can't develop a player of that quality on my own. We hope things continue to go as well as they have so far."

Bayern have also rediscovered their ruthless form under Kompany, setting a Bundesliga record with 25 goals in their first six league matches and winning all 10 games across competitions. 

The Englishman has featured in all 10 games for Bayern so far this season and was also on target for England against Latvia in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier, scoring twice. When asked about his workload, Kompany downplayed any concerns.

"I'm not the national coach of England, Germany, or anyone else. Everyone can decide for themselves what to do with their players," the Belgian added. "We all want them to be fit for the club and also for the World Cup. No one wins if the player isn't healthy. And we mustn't forget that Kane didn't even play the first game, so he has had plenty of time to recover."

Kompany and Bayern now turn their attention to Dortmund, who have started the season strongly under Nico Kovac. "We're motivated for this classic. Both teams are still undefeated, Kovac has already won the Bundesliga as a coach, and we're looking forward to it," Kompany said. 

Dortmund have enjoyed recent success in Munich, with a win and a draw in their last two Bundesliga visits to the Allianz Arena.

"They have dangerous attacking players who are always dangerous and can always score. They have defenders with a lot of experience. Overall, it's a tough opponent. But we're at home! Hopefully, it will be a good game for the fans," the Bayern boss added.

With Bayern firing on all cylinders, and Kane hungrier than ever, the defending champions will enter the Clasico as clear favourites.