Harry Kane: "It would be a dream to win the Champions League"
Ahead of the first leg of Bayern Munich's UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Inter Milan, Harry Kane sat down with bundesliga.com to talk about what it would mean for him to win the tournament in Bayern colours, and how they can do it.
bundesliga.com: What would it mean to win the Champions League here in Munich?
Harry Kane: “It would be a dream. It's been a dream of mine pretty much my whole life and we have the opportunity to do that this year. But also to do it at home in front of our fans at the Allianz, I think would make it even more special. I think when you have the opportunity to do stuff like that, it makes you excited. Of course, there'll be some nerves, excitement, anticipation. We have a big game, a tough game in the quarter-final against Inter Milan.
We just need to be ready. We know on our day we can beat anyone. We have a strong enough team to do that, but it's about being consistent over two legs and then seeing how far you can get. But for sure, knowing how much it will mean to these fans in Munich, having it here in Munich, I think just gives everyone a little bit more motivation.”
Watch: Kane: "Every game is a cup final to the end"
bundesliga.com: You've always had pressure in your career, with Tottenham Hotspur or England. How would you compare that pressure to playing a Champions League final in the Allianz Arena?
Kane: “I think with Bayern, the expectation is to win everything every season. I felt that last year, we didn't win anything and there was a lot of noise around the club and probably rightly so. So yeah, when you're at these clubs, the expectation is high, not just for yourself but for the team, and as being one of the more experienced ones, one of the leaders in the team, you have to be willing to sacrifice yourself a little bit and do what it takes to get yourself over the line.
Watch: Record king Kane
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"So yeah, our season now is kind of in the balance. We have great opportunity in the Bundesliga, great opportunity in the Champions League. But ultimately things can turn around really quickly.
"So we have to stay focused, we have to stay sharp and I think that brings an excitement that brings the best out in each player because the pressure's on, it takes you to another level that maybe you can't get when you don't have that pressure building. So yeah, I'm excited for that challenge and ultimately, I've just got to try and do what I've done throughout the whole season and help the team in any way possible.”
bundesliga.com: It seems unfair that you haven't won a trophy yet - does it feel that way to you?
Kane: “Well, I've been extremely close, I know I haven't got over the line and, that's part of the learning curve and that's part of the ups and downs of football. But I've been to a Champions League final with Tottenham, which was the first ever. I've been to two finals with England, which was the first time in 60-odd years or 70 years in a major final. So there's been a lot of good things along the way.
"I know football and sport in general is pretty cutthroat when you don't get over the line. A lot of the other stuff almost gets forgotten about, but I think that's what makes you who you are. Those learnings, those ups, those downs. Ultimately, there's never a straight line to the top of the mountain."
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