Harry Kane has admitted the desire to return to England and chase Alan Shearer's Premier League goalscoring record has faded — and that life in Munich has become something he never expected it to be.

The Bayern Munich and England captain was speaking after receiving the European Golden Shoe for the second time, awarded to him as the Continent's top scorer with 36 Bundesliga goals last season. Across all competitions for Bayern, Kane scored 61 goals and registered seven assists in 51 appearances. Including international duty, he netted 73 goals in 65 games.

The itch that faded

"When I first left (Spurs in 2023), for sure it was something that I thought I'd definitely be coming back," Kane said. "That itch isn't there as much anymore."

Kane, who is 33, has 213 Premier League goals — 47 short of Shearer's all-time record of 260. Yet with Bayern in talks over a new contract and his family settled in Germany, a homecoming appears increasingly distant. Reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia also appear wide of the mark.

"I'm extremely happy here in Munich. It's opened my eyes to a totally different world of football outside of England. My family are really settled here. I never say never but, for now, I'm concentrating on Bayern Munich, and we'll see what the future holds."

Best version of himself

Kane credits head coach Vincent Kompany — the former Manchester City defender who took charge of Bayern in 2024 — with elevating his game to new heights. The freedom to drop deeper, receive the ball in midfield, and arrive late into the box has unlocked a more complete forward.

"This is the best version of myself for sure," Kane said. "Last season speaks for itself — my best season in my career, no doubt."

He drew comparisons with his later years at Tottenham Hotspur under Jose Mourinho, when a similar licence to roam helped forge his prolific partnership with Son Heung-min. "It's been building," he said. "I know where I should be, I know where the players are going to be. I just use my instincts."

Champions League hunger

Bayern won the Bundesliga, the German Super Cup, and the DFB-Pokal last season but were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain 6-5 on aggregate in the Champions League semi-finals. Kane made clear that reaching the final remains the driving ambition.

"The Champions League is a big goal of ours," he said. "PSG are back-to-back champions. Arsenal reached the final. Real Madrid always. There are so many top teams you have to beat to be European champions. We got extremely close last year — this year we need to go that one step further."

Kane singled out PSG centre-backs Marquinhos and Willian Pacho as the finest he has faced. "I love playing against the best because they bring out the best in me," he said. "They are probably the two that stand out."

Support for Musiala

Kane also spoke warmly about teammate Jamal Musiala, who suffered two absence seizures during pre-season fixtures. "Jamal is going through a difficult moment right now," Kane said. "He knows he has the full support of everyone here at FC Bayern — his friends, his family. We'll be there to help him deal with it."

Musiala had only recently returned from a broken fibula sustained last season. Kane praised his work ethic and expressed confidence the young German would come through the challenge.

More than just goals

In accepting the Golden Shoe, Kane said he loves "making a sliding tackle as much as scoring a goal" — a remark that surprised some but reflects how he now analyses his own game. "When I'm watching my clips to improve, I find myself watching those moments maybe more than the goals now," he said.

"The goals are a consequence of loads of hard work behind the scenes, doing stuff every day when people aren't watching. I've always loved doing my bit for the team."

With England resuming their Nations League campaign next month, Kane says the relentless schedule suits him. He acknowledged the disappointment of losing to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final but pointed to the third-place win as a positive to build on ahead of qualification for Euro 2028, which England will host.