Harry Kane last night became England’s record appearance-maker – days after signing a new Bayern Munich contract that’s reported to contain an intriguing clause.
Kane followed up his recent Ballon d’Or triumph by winning his 126th cap for his country against Croatia, surpassing Peter Shilton’s long-standing record, and last week he put pen to paper on a new deal keeping him in Germany until 2029.
That will take the striker up to the summer of his 36th birthday, although a key detail of the contract has given Spurs fans a glimmer of hope that he could still return to his former club before the end of his career.
The Spurs clause
As with his previous deal, it’s been reported that his new contract contains a clause that allows Spurs to match a bid from any other club for his services, should Kane leave Bayern before the summer of 2029.
Former Spurs and England star Chris Waddle doesn’t expect him to return to North London before the end of his career, though.
“People ask me ‘Do you think Harry Kane will go back when he’s 36?’, but why should he go back?” Waddle said.
“He might have a soft spot to go back, but do Tottenham want somebody back at 36 or 37? I don’t think so, even if it is Harry Kane. I think Tottenham are looking to move on and are looking at much younger profiles.
“The Bundesliga is slower than the Premier League, so at 36, he could still be wearing the Bayern Munich No.9 shirt.”
Waddle left Spurs himself to move abroad in 1989, enjoying a successful spell in France with Marseille, and sees how Kane has similarly benefited from playing in a new country.
“He made the right decision, and he probably never thought it would go as well as it has,” said the former winger, speaking in association with iGaming.com.
“When I went to Marseille, I didn’t know what was going to happen, and it turned out to be three unbelievable years in my career.
“I didn’t want to leave Tottenham, but when I look back, it was probably the best move I made. Harry Kane, for all his time with Tottenham – and he loves Tottenham, rightly so – would say that Bayern Munich made him a far better player.”
