Sir Harry? Kane responds to knighthood talk after Ballon d'Or win

Kane won the Ballon d'Or on Monday after scoring 73 goals across all competitions; he said he'd be "massively proud" of a knighthood but finds the idea of being called "Sir" weird.

Harry Kane became the first Englishman to win the Ballon d'Or in 25 years on Monday after an extraordinary season in which he scored 73 goals across all competitions for Bayern Munich and England. The 33-year-old's achievement has sparked talk of a knighthood, with bookmakers pricing him at 3-1 to receive one by 2030.

When asked about the prospect, Kane told reporters he would be "massively proud" if it happened but admitted it would feel "weird" to have everyone calling him Sir. "I wouldn't say no to it, that's for sure," he said after Bayern's 6-1 DFB-Pokal win over Magdeburg. "If it happens it'll be incredible, but I don't want to get too carried away."

A No 10 Downing Street spokeswoman acknowledged Kane's contribution to English football, saying "everyone would agree, Harry Kane has given an enormous amount to English football," but declined to pre-empt the honours process. Kane follows Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen as an English Ballon d'Or winner.