Bayern Munich striker Kane discussed his evolution as a number 9 over recent years in an interview with Game Changers. He explained how dropping deeper into midfield has actually helped him find more attacking space, and he also discussed his chemistry with different teammates, his understanding of space on the pitch, and his views on the Ballon d'Or and the new season's objectives. This article is the first part of the interview.

Hi Harry, welcome to Game Changers. I'd like to talk with you about some more detailed aspects of the game, and hopefully shine a light on things that people might not notice when they watch you play. When we watch football now, we see that the tactical environment has changed a lot, and you've had a long and successful career. What's your take on these changes? For example, the increase in man-to-man pressing and the rise of one-on-one duels across all areas of the pitch?

Yes, absolutely. This trend has become increasingly clear over the last five or six years. I think European football has become more physically demanding. Of course, when I played for Tottenham, the Premier League was like that, and now that I'm at Bayern Munich, it's the same. You'll find that, especially top teams, want to win the ball back as quickly as possible and apply pressure as high up the pitch as they can.

Then they trust their defenders and midfielders to engage in one-on-one defending, and they believe they can win these duels. So football is constantly evolving. Of course, I think it also depends on what kind of manager you have and what style of play he prefers.

I've worked with many top coaches throughout my career, and Bayern's current manager is undoubtedly one of the best. I really enjoy this style, and I also like the way he gets us to play. So with each coach, I try to adapt and also try to play the biggest role I can for the team in different situations.

Clearly, as a striker, people expect me to be the one scoring goals, but that doesn't mean you always have to be in the most advanced position on the pitch, nor does it mean you always have to be in the penalty box. I think this is perhaps where my game has developed over the years.

From my perspective, I think when I'm performing at my best, no matter what system or players I'm up against, I can create danger. Whether it's one-on-one or two-on-one situations, I'm always trying to find different areas or pockets of space.

Ultimately, a lot of it comes down to believing in yourself and winning your individual battles on the pitch. Obviously, I'm not the fastest player, but in terms of reading the game, I know where I should be and where I can receive the ball. Whether it's drifting wide, or playing centrally and then moving into the box later, there are many different situations.

I think this is also where my understanding of the number 9 role has changed in recent years. You have the freedom to decide where you should be based on the situation on the pitch.

In those situations you just mentioned, you keep saying you "know" what to do. But how exactly do you know?

I think it's a combination of many things, including instinct and football intelligence that I've gradually built up throughout my career. At the same time, you also have to read what's happening based on how things feel on the pitch. For example, if I want to drop deeper, I'll look at whether the opposing centre-back is willing to follow me. He might follow me up to the midfield line, but if I keep dropping deeper, even all the way back to the edge of our own penalty area, will he still follow me?

Usually, within the first 5 to 10 minutes of a match, you can really understand how your opponent intends to play. Of course, you watch their previous match footage, but ultimately, you won't fully know what the opposition will do until you're actually on the pitch. So once the match starts, you just have to keep adapting to what's actually happening on the field.

Your relationship with your attacking partner sometimes feels less like a traditional attacking midfielder plus striker combination, and more like two number 10s operating simultaneously. Given that you were a pure number 9 for a long time in your career, how does it feel to play alongside another attacking midfielder like that now?

I really enjoy it. Sometimes, if you play as a lone number 9, both opposing centre-backs can mark you closely, making it difficult to get on the ball, and you become very dependent on your teammates finding you and delivering the pass.

I think our positional relationship right now is a bit like two number 9s, and also a bit like two number 10s, and we complement each other. We can move to the same side together, creating an overload in that area. I think this also creates some problems for the opposing centre-backs, because they have to decide who to mark.

If both want to come out and man-mark us, that might leave space for the wingers or full-backs to advance. So I think we're constantly creating this problem for opponents and forcing them to make decisions.

For me personally, I like having a close teammate to combine with, and at the same time, I can adjust my movements based on his movements. If he drops deeper, I can make a forward run into space, and vice versa.

How do you adjust your game based on different partners? Because Sané's playing style is different from how Jackson plays alongside you. And it's not just the central attacker; the wingers also come inside, and sometimes they become your partner. You have your own playing style, but you also play with different players. So how do you adapt based on their characteristics?

I think you first have to look at what they do best. For example, Jamal (Musiala) and Leroy (Sané) are very good at receiving the ball and dribbling. So sometimes I'll position myself a bit higher, allowing them to receive the ball in deeper positions or in half-spaces, and then I'll try to make a run behind the opposing defence.

Sometimes Michael (Olise) also likes to cut inside and play with his left foot. In those situations, sometimes I run behind, and sometimes I offer him a passing option. Lucho (Díaz) is more of a player who is constantly going up and down. So, without drastically changing my own style and strengths, I also try my best to adapt to the characteristics of the players around me.

Related reading:

Kane: Being in the Ballon d'Or conversation shows I'm playing well, but last season is already behind us.

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