How England captain Harry Kane became a German Bundesliga legend in just 15 games

For all its glamour and reputation, the German Bundesliga is not blessed with a multitude of world-class megastars. So, when Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer proudly hailed the arrival of Harry Kane from Tottenham for a staggering $110 million this summer, he knew it would be a game-changer. "He would do us and the Bundesliga good," he declared.  

Securing the services of the England captain, who shows no signs of slowing down, sent a powerful message of ambition from one of Europe's financial powerhouses. Yet, little did anyone anticipate the astonishingly exceptional debut season Kane is currently enjoying in Germany. Even the most optimistic fan couldn't have fathomed the level of success he's achieved in such a short time. 

The 30-year-old maestro unleashed a sensational long-range strike, propelling Bayern to a hard-fought 2-1 triumph over Wolfsburg on Wednesday night. With this latest feat, he has now amassed an astounding 25 goals in just 22 games for the German champions, with an impressive 21 of them coming from a mere 15 Bundesliga matches. 

This tally surpasses the goal count of last season's top scorer Christopher Nkunku and sets a new record for the fastest accumulation of goals in the league's history. Notably, when considering his five assists as well, Kane has directly contributed to an astonishing 26 Bundesliga goals this season, an equal number to the player with the highest goal involvements in the entirety of last season, Randal Kolo Muani.  

It's worth noting that when factoring in his performance in the latter half of last season with Tottenham, Kane has now netted an impressive total of 38 league goals in 2023, four more than the runner-up Kylian Mbappe across Europe's top five leagues.  

Comparatively, when Bayern's former hero Robert Lewandowski set the record with 41 Bundesliga goals in the 2020-21 season, he had only reached 20 goals after 15 games. If Kane continues to find the back of the net at his current prodigious rate, he is on course to surpass even that sensational feat and reach an incredible 48 goals for the season.

What sets Kane's performance apart is not just the sheer volume of goals he has been netting but also the manner in which he scores them. 

There is an unmistakable sense of joyous enthusiasm. It's almost as if his sole mission is to effortlessly dispatch the ball into the back of the net, swiftly celebrating with his exuberant teammates, before eagerly seeking out the next opportunity to repeat the trick. This infectious display of gleeful efficiency demonstrates that Kane is not only in peak physical condition but also thoroughly enjoying his time on the pitch. 

A notable transformation has taken place within Kane's mindset, and it goes beyond his move to Munich. There is now an aura surrounding him, as if he has ascended to a higher level, solidifying his status as the player who seems to be in a perpetual state of scoring.  

It is as though he has found perfect equilibrium, embracing his new talismanic role within a fresh environment, the first truly global behemoth he has been a part of in his otherwise illustrious career. 

With his arrival at Bayern, perhaps the enduring notion of a "Kane jinx" can finally be put to rest. It is truly perplexing that despite his goal-scoring prowess on the pitch, he continues to be subjected to ridicule for not having secured a major trophy thus far.  

This unjust criticism fails to acknowledge the fact that Kane has spent his career with Tottenham and England, two teams that have often fallen short in their quest for glory and have faced huge disappointments on the grandest stages. 

The most perfect culmination for Kane's German journey would be to lift both the Bundesliga and Champions League trophies next summer. And it's not entirely out of the realm of possibility that he could lead England to realize their full potential and claim the ultimate prize in Euro 2024. 

Should these seemingly improbable scenarios come to fruition, Kane would undoubtedly find himself in a state of unparalleled luck, perhaps even earning the title of the happiest man on Earth.  

While it is true that these outcomes may not be highly likely, given the extraordinary feats we have witnessed from Kane in the past record-breaking months, it's only fair to grant him the liberty to harbor the most audacious dreams.