Harry Kane is finally free of the disappointment and failure that has clung to him. The shadow has fallen and one of England's greatest ever is a nearly man no longer, writes OLIVER HOLT

When Harry Kane went retired connected indebtedness to Leyton Orient and Millwall astatine the dawn of his vocation and felt the chill of the little leagues, it was successful the anticipation that astatine immoderate signifier of his shot beingness that was to come, helium would beryllium fortunate capable to acquisition a time similar this Saturday successful Bavaria.

When helium struggled to find acceptance astatine Tottenham Hotspur, helium played for days similar this erstwhile Bayern Munich fans sat astatine the woody tables extracurricular the celebrated aged Gasthaus Isarthor successful the metropolis centre a fewer hours earlier the game, gulping backmost their glasses of Augustiner pilsner, wearing shirts with Kane's sanction connected the back.

When the archetypal accidental of a trophy passed him by arsenic Spurs mislaid to Chelsea successful the 2015 League Cup final, helium plugged distant successful the anticipation of days similar this erstwhile Bayern fans poured connected to the Metro astatine Odeonsplatz and began the pilgrimage to the Allianz Arena to ticker their squad play Borussia Monchengladbach and past assistance the Bundesliga shield that they clinched a fewer days ago.

When helium suffered the symptom of losing retired to Leicester City for the Premier League rubric erstwhile truthful galore thought it was Spurs' to triumph successful 2016, helium returned successful the anticipation of days similar this erstwhile the last whistle blew astatine the extremity of a crippled and adjacent he, adjacent Kane the eventual professional, the understated leader, would walk overmuch of the adjacent hr moving astir the transportation similar a blessed kid, pitchers of brew successful his hands, looking for team-mates to drench and being drenched back. After being the entity of truthful overmuch schadenfreude for truthful long, cipher could mock him for his deficiency of trophies immoderate longer.

When helium came backmost from wounded to play successful the 2019 Champions League last and Spurs mislaid to Liverpool, helium began the ascent backmost towards the acme for days similar this erstwhile helium could regard astir this monument to shot dominance, a spot steeped successful victory, and fto the sensations ripple astir him and know, astatine last, that this is what triumph tastes like.

When helium was a runner-up again successful the Premier League successful 2017, this clip to Chelsea, helium went backmost to the good for days similar this erstwhile helium gilded Bayern's time of solemnisation of their 34th German rubric with a superb instinctive first-half header that enactment them 1-0 up against Monchengladbach and took his grounds successful German league shot to a singular 61 goals successful 62 games.

He is 31 present and this was the time that England's skipper and grounds goalscorer lifted the trophy that meant helium was a astir antheral nary longer. This was the time that a shadiness fell distant from him.

This was the time erstwhile 1 of the top players England has ever produced was yet escaped of the taint of disappointment and nonaccomplishment that has clung to him, with nine and country, for truthful long.

Generations of England players person grown utilized to their planetary careers being defined by the nonaccomplishment to emulate the World Cup triumph of 1966 but galore of them person recovered solace successful glories for their clubs. Not Kane. Not until now.

He is simply a lad of the nine of Danny Blanchflower, the antheral who talked truthful lyrically of shot arsenic a glory game, but for Kane, this is the archetypal clip that glory has wrapped him successful its embrace. He is portion of a glory instrumentality here. This match, which Bayern won 2-0 aft a precocious 2nd from Michael Olise, besides served arsenic an affectional farewell to Thomas Muller, who was playing his past location crippled for the nine and his 750th successful all.

When helium was honoured connected the transportation earlier the game, helium was presented with a representation that showed him sitting among the 33 trophies helium has won successful his elder vocation here. Kane has 1 to those 33 but helium is simply a portion of that past now. He is simply a champion astatine last.

This indispensable person tasted peculiarly saccharine for Kane, who came disconnected successful added clip astatine the extremity of the match. He knew his deficiency of trophies was his vocation Achilles heel.

He knew, too, that his critics had taken peculiar glee successful the information that helium had arrived astatine Bayern past play aft the German giants had won the rubric for the erstwhile 11 seasons successful succession, lone for them promptly to suffer the Bun-desliga to Xabi Alonso's all-conquering Bayer Leverkusen.

Kane's detractors said helium was a jinx but, arsenic helium celebrated successful the agleam evening chill astatine the Allianz Arena, it was Kane who laughed longest. The information that Bayern were beaten to the rubric by Leverkusen past play really gives Kane's triumph this play much meaning. If this had been Bayern's 13th rubric successful a row, it would person made it consciousness arsenic if Bayern's wins were automatic, a grounds of a one-team league, thing that kept happening whoever pulled connected the shirt.

Instead, Bayern's nonaccomplishment gave their triumph this play context. It was thing they had to combat for. And Kane has been germane to Bayern re-establishing their dominance and putting Lever-kusen firmly backmost successful their place.

No 1 tin reason present that Kane's determination to Germany has not been a runaway success. He scored 36 goals successful his debut Bundesliga run and helium has scored 25 much this season, making him, erstwhile more, the league's starring striker. He has scored 80 goals successful 89 appearances for Bayern successful each competitions.

Only Gerd Muller and Robert Lewandowski, who Kane was efficaciously signed to replace, person scored much league goals successful a azygous Bundesliga play than Kane did successful his archetypal twelvemonth but determination are different records that the England skipper has eclipsed.

In April, helium became the fastest subordinate to deed 60 goals successful the competition, astatine a complaint of a extremity a game. That meant helium broke the erstwhile record, held by Erling Haaland, by 5 games. He has added 15 assists to that goals total, too.

Individual accolades are thing new. He won 3 Premier League Golden Boots. He won the Golden Boot astatine the 2018 World Cup. But what happened present connected Saturday was different. Careers are measured by what you triumph with a team.

Team honours are what specify you arsenic a footballer and now, to adhd to each his gleaming boots and his hundreds of goals, Kane has a winner's medal. Maybe Spurs volition travel him crossed the enactment successful Bilbao successful 10 days by winning the Europa League. Kane would emotion that conscionable arsenic Spurs fans are relishing what helium has achieved successful Munich.

He ended his time walking down a reddish carpet crossed the pitch, and climbing connected to a signifier that had been hastily erected adjacent to the centre circle. A antheral successful a suit hung a medal astir his cervix and the announcer yelled out: 'Harry Kane, Deutsche Meister.'

He stood amongst his team-mates arsenic Muller lifted the shield and past took his crook with it. Every subordinate did it and each time, Kane threw his hands into the aerial to celebrate, arsenic if helium could ne'er get capable of the ritual.

As the celebrations wore connected and Kane continued to cheer each subordinate who lifted the shield with the aforesaid gusto arsenic the archetypal time, Freddie Mercury's dependable came implicit the loudspeaker. 'I've done my condemnation but committed nary crime,' helium sang. 'I've had my stock of soil kicked successful my face, but I've travel through.' Kane is simply a champion and a shadiness has near him.