Official | Harry Kane selected as 2025 ‘German Footballing Personality of the Year’, glowing tributes pour in | OneFootball

Kicker has selected Harry Kane as the 2025 “German Footballing Personality of the Year”. The England national team captain was selected for the honor based on both his sporting achievements and off-pitch activities over the course of the past calendar year. Kicker – the editorial staff of which has selected Kane for the award via an overwhelming majority – labels Kane a perfect “Ambassador of the Bundesliga” globally.

Harry Kane’s 2025 sporting accomplishments

Kane finally captured the long-sought after first trophy of his career with the 2024/25 Bundesliga title. The 32-year-old also captured top-scorer honors in the league for the second consecutive year, the first player to do so in his first two years in the German top flight. Kane has now scored 80 Bundesliga goals in 77 appearances. No other Bundesliga player has come close to scoring so many goals so quickly. 

Kane also became the fastest player to ever amass 100 scorer points in the Bundesliga. This mark came on the occasion of Kane’s 70th Bundesliga match, after which he has officially scored 74 goals and registered 26 assists. This year, Kane also reached the mark of 100 competitive appearances across all competitions for Bayern. In those 100 appearances, Kane scored an unreal total of 91 goals. 

Kane officially broke the mark of 100 goals scored across all competitions for Bayern as well. Reaching this mark took him only 104 appearances. No other player in any of Europe’s top five leagues has come close to reaching 100 goals in so few appearances. This past September, Kane scored more than one goal in five consecutive (three Bundesliga and two Champions League) appearances. No Bayern player has ever managed this before.

There was this season’s penalty record and the special day on which Kane commemorated his 10th hat trick for Bayern. Kane has now scored 11 hat tricks for the German record champions. Three of these have been German “Lupenreiners” (“flawless hat tricks“), defined by the fact that they all came in one half of play and were not interrupted by goals from any other player. 

Harry Kane’s off pitch intangibles

Kicker describes Kane as a “down-to-earth family man without any airs or graces“. Kane’s struggles with adversity earlier in his footballing career also led to him establishing the “Harry Kane Foundation”; an organization leading the fight against the stigmatization of mental illness and offering support to those affected. The manner in which Kane humbly drops deep to help his team defensively has impressed Germans. So too has his attitude towards the less fortunate.

“Kane leads the way as a consummate professional,” Kicker’s Mario Krischel writes in a ‘portrait piece’ paying tribute to Kane. “Humble, quiet, and hard-working. A gentleman who lives by his values both on and off the pitch. Since day one, he has earned the full trust of his teammates. Kane is everything FC Bayern likes to claim to be: successful and family-oriented. Nonchalant, yet at the top of everything.

“Kane is the first one to show up in weight room every morning,” Krischel continues. “And never complains about the next PR assignment. Kane has managed to ensure that the name Robert Lewandowski is hardly ever mentioned in Munich anymore. His Polish predecessor always had something robotic about him, a complete obsession with the next goal and the next milestone.

“With Kane, these things happen more casually,” Krischel concludes. “The team’s success is his priority. It’s like that with language too. Kane often emphasizes that his four children are learning German faster than he is, but he is also working hard and hopes to be able to answer questions in German in the mixed zone at the end of this season.“

Max Eberl praises Harry Kane

Bayern’s board-member-for-sport Max Eberl:

“If I had to describe Harry Kane in three words, I would have answered: goals, goals, goals. But, after working with him every day at Bayern, I must say that three words are not enough. If I must, I’d go with: down-to-earth, world class, game changer – and all of that applies at every level. Since I’ve been at FC Bayern, I’ve been able to see up close how he has redefined the striker’s game and also taken the team spirit to another level.

“He is the striker who not only scores himself, but also lets others shine. Harry Kane tackles in defense, plays dream passes in midfield, and breaks one goal record after another in attack whilst motivation for his teammates. What characterizes him: he has both feet firmly on the ground. He’s the kind of guy who takes time to take selfies with fans and is genuinely interested in every player on the team.

“Harry has brought a breath of fresh air to the Bundesliga. He brings English football culture with him and ensures that the football world is watching Munich. He increases interest in German football and show how attractive the league is to world-class players. The fact that he plays for Bayern and feels at home here is a huge statement.“

Klaus Fischer praises Harry Kane:

Schalke legend and West German international:

“With the award for Harry Kane, kicker has made the perfect selection. Kane is an ambassador for the Bundesliga in every respect. As a striker, he is one of the greatest in the world.  What makes Kane special, apart from his accuracy, is above all his overall workload. That is, how he works for the team, sets up his teammates, and helps out defensively. This distinguishes him as a team player par excellence, beyond his individual class.

“And his demeanor off the pitch also fits into this picture. As captain of the English national team, Kane is a global star, but also a completely normal, down-to-earth character without airs and graces or even scandals. His family is an important factor, and the fact that they feel completely at home in Munich is a decisive factor in his performance.  I can only hope that Kane, a popular and influential player, will remain in the Bundesliga for a long time to come.“

Jan-Christian Dreesen praises Harry Kane:

Bayern’s CEO:

“What impresses me more than the stats is that Harry carries out his job with maximum professionalism. He works hard for the team, runs every extra meter and takes responsibility both on the pitch and in the locker room. Despite his superstar status, he remains approachable. He always takes time for the fans and shows every day what it means to be part of this club. We are delighted that Harry is at FC Bayern.”

GGFN | Peter Weis