Kane, First English Ballon d'Or Winner in 25 Years, Given Guard of Honour at Bayern; Trophy to Be Shown at Saturday's Klassiker

Harry Kane returned to Germany after making history by winning the Ballon d'Or. At Bayern Munich's training session on Tuesday, the whole club was ready to welcome the England captain, amid celebrations from teammates and officials, a guard of honour from staff and chants of 'Harry, Harry' from supporters.

Kane has won the Ballon d'Or as the first English footballer in 25 years. His success also gave Bayern a special occasion: for the first time in 45 years in the club's history, one of its footballers has received one of the world's most prestigious individual awards. The last player from a German club to win the award was in 1996.

Sharing his feelings about the award on social media, Kane wrote: 'Where do I start? An evening I will never forget.' He added: 'This memory will stay with me for a long time.' The star striker also thanked his Bayern and England teammates and everyone who had sent good wishes.

Delighted by Kane's achievement, Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said: 'We are all very happy with Harry Kane's performance. What makes him an extraordinary footballer is not only his goalscoring ability; off the pitch too he is a special person.' Praising Kane's personality, he added: 'Harry is a great person. You rarely find someone like him. World-class, yet so down to earth. Harry has taken the centre-forward role to a completely new level. He is an inspiration, especially for young players. Without doubt he is one of the greatest players in football history.'

Bayern are also arranging a special reception for Kane. On Wednesday, Bayern are due to play second-division side Magdeburg in the second round of the German Cup. Assistant coach Aaron Danks said the England captain is ready to play in that match.

In last season's German Cup final, Kane's hat-trick helped Bayern win the trophy. The team will again look to him in their campaign to retain the title. Bayern will also celebrate Kane's achievement on Saturday in the Bundesliga 'Klassiker' against arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund, when he is due to display the Ballon d'Or trophy in front of the supporters.

Before Kane, three legends of German football won the Ballon d'Or with Bayern — Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. After Rummenigge in 1981, the Bavarian club has now received the honour again through Kane. In 2020, Bayern's Robert Lewandowski was the strongest contender for the award, but that year the Ballon d'Or was not given because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Bayern are in a festive mood over Kane's personal success, the club are also going through a difficult time. Head coach Vincent Kompany suddenly fell ill during training last week and is currently receiving treatment. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich, meanwhile, is on leave because of a death in the family. Assistant coach Danks referred to these two contrasting experiences of life, saying that the boundless joy Harry felt yesterday and the moments the team have gone through in recent weeks are all part of it.