Eric Dier pens open letter to former Bayern Munich teammate Harry Kane upon Germany Football of the Year award
Harry Kane's former Bayern Munich teammate Eric Dier has sent a public letter of praise to the England captain as he won Germany's Footballer of the Year award, underlining the regard in which he is held by his colleagues in the sport.
Kane won the award from German sports magazine kicker this past weekend, becoming the first Englishman in the 66-year history of the prize to claim it. The 33-year-old picked up 272 votes, considerably more than his closest challenger, fellow Bayern forward Michael Olise (203). This latest achievement comes following a record-breaking 2025/26 season that saw him score 61 goals in 51 club appearances.
Now, Dier, who also played with Kane for Tottenham Hotspur and England, has shared his appreciation for the superstar centre-forward. "Hi Harry, do you still remember the trip to Perth?" it started in a text published on kicker. "It’s been three years now, but I haven’t forgotten that trip.
"We were on our way to the pre-season tour with Tottenham, and on the flight over, you told me for the first time: Bayern wanted to sign you, and you wanted to move to Bayern as well. We both said that it was probably going to happen - but at the time, we couldn’t have imagined just how perfectly it would actually work out."
Dier, who now plays for Monaco, then discussed the duo's shared time at Tottenham, where Kane blossomed into one of the most feared strikers in the English Premier League. The move to Bayern, though, did Kane "so much good" according to his friend, as he finally broke the trophy duck which had haunted him as the Bavarians lifted the 2024/25 Bundesliga title.
Former Sporting Lisbon defender Dier was also part of that squad, and it is clear that success meant a lot to him as he was able to share it with his close friend. "How cool was it that we were able to celebrate together that night when we were officially crowned champion?" he said.
"We had to wait much longer for it than we would have liked, but I think we both agree that we learned some valuable lessons along the way."
Kane's Bayern displays, as well as his strong FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, where he scored six goals as England finished third, have put him in contention to win the Ballon d'Or - something Dier believes he is worthy of.
"You deserve all the success you’ve had, and hopefully you’ll win the Ballon d’Or. I’m not saying that just because I’m your friend. The stats and facts speak for themselves - just like all the things that can’t be seen in an Excel table."
