As he joined German club Bayern Munich on Saturday, England captain Harry Kane said it was the perfect time for him to leave Tottenham Hotspur after 19 years with the organization.
Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer announced his departure from the team in a video posted on Facebook, Instagram, and “X” (formerly known as Twitter): “I wanted to be the first to notify you Tottenham supporters that I’ll be leaving the club today… This is a thank you to all of my teammates, coaches, and managers over the years, but most of all to you, the Tottenham supporters. I did everything within my power to make you proud.
The 30-year-old explained why he chose to leave the club just one day before Tottenham’s opening Premier League match of the year: “I felt like this was the time to leave, and I didn’t want to go into the season along with a lot of unresolved future talk.”
As soon as the video was made public, Tottenham announced on its official account on “X” that it had achieved a deal with Bayern for Kane to play in Bavaria.
With 280 goals in 435 appearances across all competitions, Kane leaves Tottenham as the club’s all-time leading scorer after surpassing Jimmy Greaves’ previous record of 266 goals last season. Kane has signed a four-year contract with Bayern. With only 84 appearances for the England national team, Kane, 30, has already scored 58 goals.
Daniel Levy, the chairman of Tottenham, said on the club’s website, “We sought over a lengthy period of time to engage Harry & his representatives in various kinds of a contract extension, both short and long term.”
Harry, however, made it known that he was looking for a new challenge and would not be signing a new deal this summer. Therefore, we have regretfully approved his transfer.
“I should be thankful to Harry for everything he’s done for us, for every memory, for all the records – we wish him and his family the best for the future,” continued Levy.
Naturally, he’s always welcome to return. He will always be remembered as a beloved and valuable part of the Spurs family.
Despite all of his goals for Tottenham, Kane failed to bring home a trophy.
“I’m overjoyed to be a member of FC Bayern right now. I’ve always maintained that I want to compete and establish myself at the greatest level during my career, and Bayern is one of the biggest clubs in the world. It feels great to be here because this club is known for its winning mindset, Kane told the Bundesliga team’s website.
The pursuit of Kane, according to Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, had been a “long process.”
“He is a perfect fit for us and the club’s DNA in terms of both football and character,” Dreesen said, according to the Bayern website.
“When FC Bayern has experienced its greatest victories, world-class center forwards have always been a key component, and we are confident that Harry Kane will carry on this success story.”