Twenty years ago David Beckham joined Real Madrid's all-star team alongside Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane. Photo: AFP/Liu Jin
Any comparisons to Beckham's brand strength seem to be a stretch. One gained attention for his marriage to Spice Girl, the other prefers a low key life with his childhood sweetheart. One curated an exotic portfolio spanning everything from sarongs to sunglasses, the other launched his own line of toilet paper rolls and toothpaste. If Kane has a particular hallmark besides his unmistakable eye for purpose, it's his pure lifestyle, manifested in his distaste for nightclubs and lack of tattoos. “Clean” is a label he even applied to himself. For FC Bayern, who relentlessly speak about their work ethic in their values, he is the perfect fit.
It should help his reputation in Germany and beyond that he joins the Bayern team without outstanding stars. Robert Lewandowski once monopolized the headlines. But since the Pole moved to Barcelona last year, their threat has blunted and even an exciting young talent like Jamal Musiala has yet to shed his 'Bambi' label. The vacuum must be filled by Kane. His value to Bayern lies in the fact that he does not need to be trained, that he can offer a ready-made solution to their shortcomings. His professionalism is so reliable that the proposal to include him in Saturday's squad for the German Super Cup is not outlandish at all.
1108 Harry Kane
Whatever your opinion of Kane, the sight of the England captain choosing the Bundesliga in the full bloom of his talent is worth watching. The parallels to Kevin Keegan's Mighty Mice in Hamburg in the late seventies are poignant. Keegan took his opportunity in Germany to the point of winning several Ballons d'Or in his three years there. The admiration for his adopted city was so strong that when he complained that he couldn't find his favorite cereal at the local supermarket, fans bombarded him with grocery lists with vendor lists. Kane, a man tied to the comforts of home, should take comfort in knowing that Munich will have his every whim catered for.
Long Tottenham's talisman, he may now be a favorite at Bayern. In every sense, this is the “next level”, a chance to trade dysfunction on the Seven Sisters Road for a flawless job on Sabenerstrasse. Kane should be applauded for making the jump. Less fearless souls might take a cautious, “better than the devil you know” approach, but he is determined to put his gifts to the most difficult test. Thomas Müller, who was once asked to reveal Bayern's motto “Mia-san-Mia”, defined it as “a hardcore winning mentality with a good dose of self-belief but without any arrogance”. He might as well be talking about his latest teammate.
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