Redknapp: ´World´s best striker´ Kane can fire Bayern to Champions League glory

Harry Kane can lead Bayern Munich back to Champions League glory, according to his former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp.

Kane joined the Bavarian giants from Tottenham last week for an estimated €117million (£100m), leaving as Spurs’ record goalscorer and joining a Bayern side targeting their 12th consecutive Bundesliga title this season.

For all their domestic success, however, Bayern have suffered three consecutive quarter-final exits from the Champions League, last winning Europe’s premier club competition in 2019-20.

But Redknapp, who handed Kane his Spurs debut in a Europa League qualifier against Hearts in 2011, believes the 30-year-old is the best striker in the world and can spearhead Bayern’s return to Champions League glory.

“He’s just for me the best centre-forward in the world,” Redknapp told Stats Perform. “He can do absolutely everything.

“He’s an amazing player. He scores goals. He makes goals, he can head it, he can score left foot, right foot, there’s not a weakness in his game.

“Wherever he goes, he’ll be a sensation. He could push Bayern Munich onto getting even closer to winning the Champions League this year and what they’ve been in the past.

“They’ll probably win the league again. But the Champions League has got to be what they’re looking to win and he’s certainly the man to help them do that.”

Kane’s Spurs departure ended a 19-year association with the London club, the latter stages of which were clouded by rumours of a potential exit as major silverware evaded him.

Redknapp is surprised Bayern managed to acquire Kane, questioning why Manchester United did not attempt to sign a player who sits just 47 goals shy of Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record.

“It was a surprise to me that he decided to go to Bayern Munich,” Redknapp said. “Even if he had gone to Real Madrid, I could have understood it, maybe.

“For me, he’d have been a great signing for Man United. We see [Moises] Caicedo going [to Chelsea] for over 100 million pounds. He’s a defensive midfield player, doesn’t score goals, doesn’t make goals, breaks the play up.

“Harry Kane, for less money, who guarantees you between 25 and 30 goals a year, he could have pushed Man United onto maybe winning a title this year. So I was surprised they didn’t go for him.

“I thought he might stay on and beat Shearer’s record. I suppose the only person that’s pleased he’s going to Germany probably is Alan Shearer. It will keep the record intact.”

Kane netted on his Bundesliga debut as Bayern began their title defence with a 4-0 thrashing of Werder Bremen on Friday.

Redknapp is confident his former player will adapt quickly and doubts he will be worried by the shadow of Robert Lewandowski, who scored 238 goals in 253 Bundesliga outings for Bayern before leaving for Barcelona last year.

“It’ll be a different way of football, the style will be slightly different,” Redknapp added. “It’s still football, but it’ll be slightly different to what he’s been used to here.

“He’s so low maintenance as a player, he’s confident in his own abilities, he works hard, trains hard, lives right, family man. He’ll score goals, make goals, he’ll be a sensation.

“You know, Lewandowski was a great player, but Harry Kane’s a better player.”