Harry Kane exclusive: ‘It’s not about getting paid for a year or two and walking away’ | OneFootball

The game’s elite players have become businesses in their own right in recent years and now England captain Harry Kane has admitted he is taking a bigger interest in his off-field activities.

While Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the game’s A-listers have cashed in on their global fame to create business empires that generate huge income away from their core profession, Kane has sidestepped some of those opportunities in recent years.

Yet in an exclusive interview with Football365, Kane has cast an eye towards life after football and the legacy he could leave to the world as well as the sport he has mastered.

Bayern Munich striker Kane has become co-owner and brand ambassador of Our Pure Planet (OPP), the sustainable headphones and electronics firm that prides itself on having zero carbon impact across any of their products.

Speaking from his base in Munich, Kane told us that the environmentally friendly element of this business opportunity was a key reason why this commercial deal was a good fit.

“I have become more interested in business and what I would like to get involved in when my football career is finished,” began Kane.

“You want something that will keep you busy when your career ends because football is not a long career and you have another half of your life after that to think about.

“I like playing golf and will probably do more of that when I’m finished playing football, but I’m not someone who will sit at home when I am retired and take it easy, but you have to pick the right projects.

“You want to learn new things, get involved in projects that interest you and hopefully Our Pure Planet is not just something that will last for a couple of years.

“Making a little difference in the world is important and it felt like a good fit. We all need to learn more about being greener and leaving the planet in a better place than it is now. It is something I want to learn more about.

“It is hard to pick the right projects to be associated with. You want the product to be good and to feel excited about using it and then you look at things that can make more of a difference around that.

“You also want to be a part of something that is moving forward in the future and with OPP, I feel it is going to get bigger as we learn more and more about making products that are good for the environment.

“It’s not just about signing up for a product, getting paid for a year or two and walking away from it. I want to be involved in projects that have a bit more longevity and that’s what OPP offered me.

“I will have to take a load of the headphones into the Bayern Munich boys and get them using it. Hopefully, we can build a bit of a profile for the brand.”

Kane’s life off the pitch has changed dramatically since his £100million move from Tottenham to Bayern Munich last summer, but he is determined to ensure his family are not in the spotlight despite his own fame.

His wife Katie and their four children have rarely been exposed to the glare of publicity and Kane is determined to ensure that remains the case.

“I like to keep things private and I think that’s all down to the type of person I am,” he added.

“I’m a pretty normal guy and do normal things. I’ve never been someone who goes out to nightclubs.

“When I have spare time, I like to spend it with my wife and kids, I like to play some golf.

“Unfortunately, there are some things that are a bit more difficult to do when you are going to a busy place and people recognise you. In general, I’m just a pretty normal guy.

“People have different personalities and take different paths in their life. You can’t say one is right and one is wrong, but this is just the way I have always been.

“I don’t tend to give too much of my personal life away and like to keep my children away from the spotlight as there is so much out there on social media and you have to be careful.

“That is all part of learning to be a Dad, being a parent. You need to protect your kids from seeing things you don’t want them to see. There are advantages to the internet and social media, but you don’t want to expose your kids to too much too young.”