Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or night turns into a Bayern Munich welcome home

Harry Kane did not kick a ball for Bayern Munich as they beat Magdeburg 6-1 in the DFB Cup, yet by the time he appeared to greet waiting reporters close to midnight it still felt like his evening, according to Sky Sports Football.

The striker had flown back into the Bayern fold fresh from becoming the first Englishman in a quarter of a century to win the Ballon d'Or, and the club's players and staff made sure his achievement was marked regardless of his absence from the matchday squad.

The award itself was presented at the London Palladium, where Kane first collected the Striker of the Year prize before later being confirmed as the overall winner, as described by Metro Football's Kate Mason, who was at the ceremony.

Mason detailed the small physical tics of a player used to instinctive decisions on the pitch rather than posing for the room, noting how Kane repeatedly fiddled with a button on his suit jacket as he adjusted to the unfamiliar spotlight.

Metro also pointed to an earlier interview Kane gave to The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor, in which he explained the thinking behind his movement in the build-up to a goal against DR Congo that sent England through to the World Cup last 16 this summer, a goal he rates among the best of his career.

In that piece, Kane described his approach: "I try to play on the half-turn as much as possible, so I can feel there's a bit of space between me and the defender, so once I've had that touch, I'm then trying to process where the best place is to get a shot off — or where's the quickest place to get a shot off."

The Ballon d'Or victory has since triggered speculation in England over whether Kane could be included in the New Year's Honours List, with suggestions he might be summoned to Buckingham Palace by King Charles III.

Asked about the prospect, Kane told Bild he was not dismissing the idea outright. "I certainly wouldn't say no – I really appreciate it," he said, before adding: "If it came to that, it would be incredible and something I'd be incredibly proud of. But I don't want to get too carried away with it right now."

He was equally measured when asked how he might feel being addressed as "Sir Harry Kane", telling Bild, as reported by Yahoo Sports: "It sounds good, but it would feel kind of strange if everyone called me Sir – so for now, I'll just stick with Harry."

The 33-year-old's week has combined the ceremonial with the routine, moving from the Palladium stage back to Bayern's cup commitments within days, a contrast that has only added to the sense of a player still processing the scale of his achievement.

For now, any decision on a knighthood rests with the New Year's Honours process rather than Kane himself, while Bayern continue their domestic cup campaign in the Bundesliga season having already disposed of Magdeburg without needing their newly crowned Ballon d'Or winner on the pitch.