‘He was nuts’: Michael Owen says ‘world-class’ player was crazy to leave Tottenham
Tottenham Hotspur supporters have grown accustomed to difficult farewells over the past few years, as the club has gradually said goodbye to some of its most iconic players.
The latest heartache came with the departure of captain Heung-Min Son, a fan favourite whose loyalty and impact made him one of Spurs’ most beloved figures. His exit follows a wider trend that has seen the gradual dismantling of the team Mauricio Pochettino built during Tottenham’s golden period in the mid-to-late 2010s. Core players such as Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Dele Alli, and Christian Eriksen – once the backbone of a side that regularly competed at the top end of the Premier League and reached a Champions League final – have all moved on in recent years.
Yet, despite the emotional sting of those losses, one departure stands above all others in terms of significance: the exit of Harry Kane.
The England captain and Tottenham’s all-time leading goalscorer left for Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023. His decision to leave his boyhood club, where he had risen through the ranks and become a symbol of hope for fans, sent shockwaves through north London. Kane has never hidden his love for Spurs, but his desire to pursue trophies ultimately outweighed his attachment to the club he supported as a child.
Former England striker Michael Owen recently weighed in on Kane’s controversial decision while speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast. Owen, who knows all about the pressure of big moves and the pursuit of trophies, made it clear he thought Kane had made a huge mistake in leaving England when he did.
Owen: Kane was “nuts” to leave Spurs
Owen described Kane as a “world-class” talent and a “brilliant finisher,” but he argued that the timing of his transfer to Germany was baffling. In his view, Kane was on the brink of cementing himself as the Premier League’s greatest-ever goalscorer, and walking away from that opportunity didn’t make sense.
“Well, I mean, Harry Kane, I think, is just lethal. I think he’s a brilliant finisher, a brilliant finisher. I disagreed with him going to Germany,” Owen said.
“I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts. You’re on the verge of being the all-time Premier League goal scorer. You’ve got kids that are all in school. I just couldn’t see it. I don’t see it. If you’re that desperate to win something, then, you know, do another year and then go.”
How close was Kane to Shearer’s record?
Alan Shearer’s record of 260 Premier League goals has stood untouched since his retirement in 2006. Kane, at the time of leaving Tottenham, had already climbed to second place in the all-time charts with 213 goals.
On paper, that left him 47 goals shy of Shearer’s legendary mark. For a striker of Kane’s calibre, that tally could feasibly be reached in two prolific seasons, particularly as he was still only 30 years old when he departed. However, football careers are unpredictable, and Kane faced the dilemma of whether to keep chasing personal milestones or pivot towards the trophies that had eluded him during his entire Spurs career.
A difficult choice
While Owen insists Kane was “nuts” to walk away from the record, the reality is more nuanced. Tottenham had endured a 17-year trophy drought by the time he left, and Kane’s patience was wearing thin. Ironically, Spurs finally broke that barren run last season, securing silverware after his exit – a twist of fate that might have left Kane wondering “what if.”
Nevertheless, the striker’s decision to join Bayern Munich was rooted in ambition. At that point in his career, he could not afford to gamble on Spurs’ ability to deliver silverware any longer. Even if his decision denied him the chance to surpass Shearer’s record, it was made with the goal of elevating his career on the biggest stages.
For Tottenham fans, Kane’s departure remains a painful reminder of how fleeting football’s greatest talents can be. For Kane himself, the choice symbolised a shift in priorities – from chasing history in England to chasing glory abroad.