Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane was handed the Golden Shoe award as the European football top scorer during the 2023-24 season in a ceremony in Munich, Germany, on Tuesday.
Kane, who moved to Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur last summer, scored 36 goals in his debut Bundesliga campaign, making him the leading marksman in all of Europe’s football leagues.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀… @HKane 🏆#FCBayern #MiaSanMia #GoldenShoe pic.twitter.com/Pbombd8Plf
— FC Bayern (@FCBayernEN) August 27, 2024
The 31-year-old England international earns the honour of being the first English striker to win the award since Kevin Phillips in 2000 and the third Bayern player to get the Golden Shoe, following in the footsteps of Gerd Muller and Robert Lewandowski, who both did so twice.
Albeit finishing as the Premier League’s top scorer three times, Kane had previously never laid his hands on the award, and the Three Lions forward was appreciative of his new club and teammates for helping him achieve this feat.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” Kane said. “I can only thank the club and my team-mates.
“The award is for everyone – without you I wouldn’t be standing here.”
The Golden Shoe Award, which was created in the 1967–68 season, was initially given to the top scorer in any of the European leagues. However, its approach was changed 30 years later, in 1997, as a ranking system was put in place to favour players in higher-ranked leagues.
Argentine forward and World Cup winner Lionel Messi holds the record for the most Golden Shoe awards won, with six to his name. Meanwhile, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has received it four times previously.
“It is something special that I am now mentioned in the same breath as these names,” Kane added.
The England captain, who was handed the award by Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, failed to win a title last season as the Bavarians finished a campaign without silverware for the first time since 2012.
However, the former Spurs man, who has already opened his account this season with a goal for Bayern in their victory over Ulm in the DFB-Pokal, is looking forward to scoring more goals this season.
“I want to continue on as I started last season, but it is important to win titles,” he said. “We want to achieve success as a team.
“I feel very good and am looking forward to the new season. I sense a new energy and I’m looking forward to seeing where it leads.”
Kane and Bayern will return to action on Sunday, September 1, when they host Freiburg at the Allianz Arena in Bundesliga matchday 2.
