Former Manchester United and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who also earned four caps for England and later became a television football pundit, believes Harry Kane deserves to win the Ballon d’Or ahead of Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal. Dublin also discussed the possibility of the Bayern Munich striker making the switch to American football, backing Kane to succeed as a kicker.
Speaking about the Ballon d’Or race, Dublin emphasized Kane’s extraordinary numbers and the impact he continues to have
on matches, arguing that Yamal has plenty of time to win the award in the future.
“I don’t want Harry Kane to fall just short of the Ballon d’Or, because he’s just been so prolific, and I think he deserves it. What is he, 33 now? Look at his numbers, his numbers are bizarre! Lamine Yamal has got another 20 years at the top, he will win the Ballon d’Or at some stage. But right now, if you are looking at performances and you’re looking at the way that an individual affects a football match, whether it’s an assist or a goal, I can’t look past Harry,” Dublin told BetVictor. “For me, Harry has to win it. As good as Lamine Yamal is, and I love watching him, Harry deserves to get it for me.”
Dublin also weighed in on the intriguing prospect of Kane trading the football pitch for the NFL, drawing on his own experience with kicking and explaining why the Bayern forward could have the tools to succeed.
“Harry Kane in the NFL? It’d be amazing. I actually thought about doing it 15 years ago when I retired because I love rugby. I played in a charity game and scored a conversion. Striking a rugby ball is different from a football, and I imagine striking an NFL ball is different again because it’s slimmer, whereas a rugby ball is a bit fatter. They move, you can fade it, curl it, or strike it straight. It’s a real skill.
“I did one long kick without a tee, I put my toe into the grass, built up a little mound, plonked the ball on there, and in a pair of Adidas Copas, I just went bonk and smashed it between the sticks!
“Harry obviously had more distance than me. When you’re on a tee and the ball is lighter, like in American football, whether it’s kicking off the tee or punting, those are two very different skills, but you’d have to back him to be a success.
With Kane continuing to deliver remarkable numbers for Bayern Munich, Dublin believes the England captain deserves his moment in the Ballon d’Or spotlight. Whether that recognition comes his way remains to be seen, but the prospect of Kane testing himself in the NFL would certainly be an entertaining next chapter if he ever decided to pursue it.
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