Fans started to rise to their feet, the volume cranked up on Saturday evening. It was suddenly very loud and mobile phones were being pulled out to record the momentous occasion. Of course, all focus was on Harry Kane. The English striker, our new No.9 freshly signed from Tottenham Hotspur, came off the bench to finally become a part of Bayern history in the 64th minute of the Supercup against RB Leipzig. And to a rapturous reception at the Allianz Arena.
Even though there was little reason to celebrate after a 3-0 loss, there was no stopping the delight at seeing Kane in a Bayern jersey on the Allianz Arena pitch.
Hectic start to life in Munich
It’s definitely been a hectic few hours for the 30-year-old. The striker’s transfer was announced on Saturday morning before he went and met his new teammates and completed his first training session with the team. Now he’s got his first few minutes under his belt for the club.
“Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’ve always said that I want to improve in my career and achieve as much as possible. I think this is the right step in my career to play at the highest level and prove myself. That’s why I’m here,” he’s stressed.
No chance for Kane
Kane is a smart operator and obviously a threat to goal. When he took his place on the substitutes bench between Minjae Kim and Aleksandar Pavlovic, a hoard of photographers and camera crews were waiting for him. He gave a thumbs up and a wink. He looked happy.
Kane was engrossed during the game and had his head in his hands shortly before his introduction when Jamal Musiala missed out on a chance to get a goal back. He added encouraging applause for his new teammates too.
However, even Kane couldn’t turn things around for Bayern after he replaced Mathys Tel. The deficit increased when Dani Olmo completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. When Kane got onto the ball in the penalty area in the 76th minute, a roar went up around the Allianz Arena, but – like most things that evening – his attempt to turn the ball towards goal was blocked by the Leipzig defence.
Unrivalled quality
There’s no questioning the England captain’s quality. His physical presence alone, his clearly defined role as a centre-forward and his brilliant scoring rate in the English Premier League speak for themselves. “He’s a model professional, totally focused,“ said head coach Thomas Tuchel to broadcaster Sat.1 ahead of the game. “He has that something and will hopefully prove it.”
Special moments
The fans’ delight about Kane’s signing was clear to see on Saturday. From the moment of his arrival, there’s been a warmth towards the striker – special moments for a special player and person.
“It’s the first transfer of my career. Seeing the fans at the airport, the hospital and the training ground was new for me. It was a great feeling. I can hardly wait to play in front of them and show my quality on the pitch. I want to score a lot of goals to make them happy,” Kane declared.
He’s now had a first chance to soak up and take in the atmosphere inside the Allianz Arena. He’ll be officially unveiled on Sunday before getting the next chance to score his first Bayern goal on Friday in the opening Bundesliga fixture away at Werder Bremen.
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