H. Kane: People expect goals from me, but that doesn't mean I have to be up front or in the box

Bayern Munich striker H. Kane gave an interview to Game Changers in which he discussed the changes he has made to his game as a striker in recent years. He explained that dropping deeper into the field has actually helped him find more attacking space, and spoke about his partnership with different teammates, his understanding of space on the pitch, and his views on the Ballon d'Or and his goals for the new season. This article is the first part of an exclusive interview.

Hi Harry, welcome to Game Changers. I want to talk to you about some of the more detailed aspects of your game and hopefully draw attention to things that people might not notice when they watch you play. We're seeing lots of tactical changes in football right now, and you've had a long and successful career. How do you feel about these changes? For example, the increase in pressing and the rise of one-on-one duels across the pitch?

Yes, definitely. This trend has become increasingly obvious over the last five or six years. I think European football is becoming increasingly demanding physically. Of course, that was the case in the Premier League when I played for Tottenham, and it's the same now that I've come to Bayern Munich. You'll find that, especially top teams, want to win the ball back as quickly as possible and press as high up the pitch as they can.

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

I've worked with many great managers throughout my career, and the current Bayern Munich manager is certainly one of the best. I really enjoy this style and the way he gets us to play. So with every manager I try to adapt and do my best to benefit the team in different situations.

Obviously, as a striker, people expect goals from me, but that doesn't mean you always have to be in the most advanced position on the pitch, and it doesn't mean you always have to stay in the box. I think that's where my game has evolved over the years.

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

Ultimately, much of it comes down to belief in yourself and winning your individual duels on the pitch. Obviously, I'm not the fastest player, but in terms of game intelligence, I know where I should be and where I can receive the ball. There are many different scenarios—whether it's drifting out wide or playing centrally and then making a run into the box.

I think that's where my understanding of the striker's role has changed in recent 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 that?

I think it's a combination of many things, including instinct and football intelligence that I've gradually developed throughout my career. At the same time, you also have to read what's happening based on your feel for the game. For example, if I want to drop deeper, I'll look to see if the opposing center-back is willing to follow me. Maybe he'll follow me to midfield, but if I keep dropping deeper—even back to the edge of our own box—will he still follow me?

Usually within the first 5–10 minutes of the match, you can really work out how the opposition plans to play. Of course, you watch their videos before the game, but ultimately you don't fully know what the opposition will do until you actually get out on the pitch. So once the game starts, you can only constantly adapt to what's actually happening on the field.

Your relationship with your attacking partner sometimes seems less like a traditional playmaker and striker combination, and more like two number 10s operating at the same time. Given that you were a pure number 9 for much of your career, what's it like now playing in this two-man attacking partnership?

I really enjoy it. Sometimes when you play alone as a number 9, both of the opposing center-backs can mark you, which makes it harder to get on the ball, and you're very reliant on your teammates finding you and passing to you.

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

If they both want to come out and mark us man-to-man, it might leave space for the wingers or fullbacks. So I think we're constantly creating these dilemmas for opponents, forcing them to make decisions.

Personally, I like having a partner I can combine with, and I can also adjust my runs depending on his movement. If he drops deep, I can push forward and run in behind, and vice versa.

How do you adjust your game depending on different partners? After all, Sané plays differently than Jamal next to you. And it's not just the central players; the wingers also drift into the center, and sometimes they become your partners. You have your own style of play, but at the same time you play with different players. So how do you adjust your game based on their characteristics?

I think first you 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'll position myself a bit higher, letting them get the ball in deeper positions or on the wing, and then I'll try to run in behind the defense.

Sometimes Serge (Gnabry) also likes to drift into the center and play with his left foot. In those situations, I sometimes run in behind and sometimes offer myself as a passing option. Lucho (Díaz) is more of a player who constantly runs up and down the flank. So, without drastically changing my own style of play and strengths, I also try to adapt to the characteristics of the players around me.

H. Kane: People expect goals from me, but that doesn't mean I have to be up front 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 that?

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