Kane: People expect me to score, but that doesn't mean I always have to be in an advanced position or in the box

Bayern Munich striker Kane recently spoke with Game Changers to discuss how his role as number 9 has evolved over the years. He explained that dropping deep helps him find more attacking space, and also discussed collaborating with different teammates, his understanding of space on the pitch, and his views on the Ballon d'Or and goals for the new season. This is the first part of the interview.

Hi Harry, welcome to Game Changers. I want to discuss some of the more detailed aspects of the game, and I hope to draw attention to things people might not notice when watching you play. When we watch football now, we see the tactical landscape changing significantly, and you've had a long and successful career. How do you see these changes? For example, the increase in pressing intensity and the rise of one-on-one duels across all areas of the pitch?

Yes, absolutely. This trend has become increasingly evident over the last five or six years. I think European football is becoming 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 at top clubs, everyone wants to win the ball back as quickly as possible and regain possession as high up the pitch as possible.

So they rely on their defenders and midfielders to engage in one-on-one defending, and they believe they can win those duels. Football has really evolved. Of course, I think it also depends on the type of manager you have and the style of play they prefer.

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

Obviously, 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 stay in the penalty box. I think that's probably where my style of play has developed over the years.

From my perspective, when I'm at my best, regardless of the system or which players I'm facing, I can create a threat. Whether it's one-on-one or two-on-one, I always try to find different areas or spaces.

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

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

In these different 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 the football intelligence I've gradually developed throughout my career. At the same time, you also have to judge based on how things feel on the pitch. For example, if I want to drop deep, I'll see if the opposing centre-back is willing to follow me. He might be willing to follow me into midfield, but if I keep dropping back, even to the edge of our own penalty box, will he still follow me?

Normally, after the first 5 to 10 minutes of a match, you can really understand how the opponent intends to play. Of course, you watch their videos beforehand, but ultimately, you don't know exactly what the opponent will do until you're actually on the pitch. So once the match starts, you just constantly adapt based on the actual situation on the pitch.

Your partnership with your central teammate sometimes seems 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 much of your career, how is it playing in a two-man attack now?

I really enjoy it. Sometimes if you play as a lone number 9, both opposing centre-backs can mark you tightly, making it difficult to receive the ball, and you'll rely heavily on teammates to find you and play passes to you.

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

If both want to step out and mark one-on-one, it could leave space for the wingers or full-backs to advance. So I think we keep creating these problems for the opponent, forcing them to make decisions.

For me personally, I like having a nearby teammate I can cooperate with, and at the same time, I can adjust my runs based on his movements. If he drops deep, I can run forward and in behind, and vice versa.

How do you adjust your game based on different partners? Because Sané's style is different from how Jackson plays when he's alongside you. And it's not just central players; the wingers cut inside too, and sometimes they also become your partners. You have your own style of play, but at the same time, you're playing with different players. So how do you adjust based on their characteristics?

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

Sometimes Michael (Olise) also likes to cut inside and use his left foot. In those moments, sometimes I make deep runs, and sometimes I offer myself as an option to support him. Luis (Díaz) is more like a player who constantly runs up and down the line. So, without changing too much my own style and strengths, I also try to cooperate as much as possible with the characteristics of the players around me.

Kane: People expect me to score, but that doesn't mean I always have to be in an advanced position or in the box

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

Your partnership with your central teammate sometimes seems 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 much of your career, how is it playing in a two-man attack now?

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