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Florian Wirtz Harry Kane Bayern LiverpoolGetty/GOAL
Aditya Gokhale

Florian Wirtz wins Germany's Footballer of the Year award - with Bayern Munich's Harry Kane missing out on place in top three

Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has been named Germany’s Footballer of the Year, finishing well clear of Michael Olise in the vote by sports journalists. The German midfielder’s triumph means Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, despite scoring 41 goals last season, missed out on a place in the top three entirely in a surprising snub for the England captain.

  • Wirtz wins award with 191 votes, Harry Kane snubbed entirely
  • Olise and Woltemade complete top three behind Liverpool star
  • Kane scored 41 goals last season but fails to make shortlist
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    WHAT HAPPENED?

    In the poll held by German outlet kicker, Wirtz secured 191 votes from 633 journalists, comfortably beating Olise, who received 81. Nick Woltemade of VfB Stuttgart came third with 71 votes, with Thomas Muller narrowly behind on 70. However, Kane, last season’s Bundesliga top scorer, failed to feature among the top four in the rankings.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    The award win further cements Wirtz’s status as one of Europe’s brightest young talents. His big-money move to Liverpool has placed huge expectations on the 22-year-old, who is also being touted as Germany's next big thing after Toni Kroos, who won the same award last year.

  • Florian WirtzGetty Images

    DID YOU KNOW?

    Wirtz’s £100 million fee, potentially rising to £116m ($156m) with add-ons, is a British transfer record. His creativity and attacking output were key in catching the attention of journalists voting in the annual kicker poll.

  • WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ AND KANE?

    The 22-year-old will look to justify the hype with a strong start at Liverpool in the Premier League. Kane will aim to use the snub as motivation as Bayern target domestic and European glory. Both players are expected to be central figures for their clubs and countries in the coming season.