Harry Kane has been told he’s not “what a Ballon d’Or winner should be” after he beat Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe to the gong on Monday night.

The 33-year-old became the first Englishman to win a Ballon d’Or for 25 years, as he joined Stanley Matthews (1956), Bobby Charlton (1966), Kevin Keegan (1978 and 1979) and Michael Owen (2001) as winners.

Kane has been in incredible form since joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham in the summer of 2023, scoring 156 goals in 159 matches in all competitions.

The England captain has had a great year for club and country with 61 clubs goals in 51 matches for Bayern Munich, while he scored six times at the World Cup to help the Three Lions to the semi-finals.

Reacting to his Ballon d’Or win on Monday, Kane said on stage: “Not many people would have thought it, maybe even myself. I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career. I was never the person that people thought was going to be the superstar, like some of the guys now. I had to bide my time. I had to work hard.

“There were a lot of times it was me against my own mind and I had to come through it. I had to show self-belief and determination and I think that grounded me.

“I said, ‘no matter what I achieve, how many goals I score, winning the Ballon d’Or, it’s always about getting better’, and this is a showcase of that. To be named the best player in the world is just incredible, and, yeah, almost loss of words.”

But former Premier League striker Dean Ashton reckons a player like Lamine Yamal is more deserving of the Ballon d’Or accolade, as Kane “doesn’t do anything that has me aghast”.

Speaking ahead of the Ballon d’Or announcement, Ashton said on talkSPORT: “Look, obviously as a fellow Englishman, to see Harry Kane win it would be incredibly special.

“I think he’s the best all-round candidate, the best all-round centre forward, his numbers are staggering.

“But he’s not a Ballon d’Or winner in my opinion.”

When asked to explain, Ashton added: “Everyone can have their own opinion on what a Ballon d’Or winner should be. Whether it’s achievements, winning the World Cup with their country, whatever criteria.

“But for me, the Ballon d’Or winner should be someone that does things that pretty much no one else can do, that even fellow professionals gasp at what they can do.

“Harry Kane is a fantastic player and does some wonderful things, but I look at him and think, there’s nothing he does that I think wow, I couldn’t do that or other players couldn’t.

“I watch Yamal and I’m honestly wowed by some of the things.

“Kane doesn’t do anything that has me aghast.”

Keown on Kane: ‘I honestly feel now that he deserves it’

Arsenal legend Martin Keown disagreed and insisted that Kane “deserves” his Ballon d’Or crown after an incredible year for club and country.

Keown said: “Harry is eye-catching too. Some of the stuff that he’s playing now, his finishing…

“And going to a foreign country, 102 goals in 101 (Bundesliga) appearances for Bayern, nine consecutive goals in the Champions League.

“He does not stop scoring and he’s so significant as an Englishman abroad to do that.

“I honestly feel now that he deserves it.

“I 100 per cent think he should win it…I can’t see a more worthy winner of it this year.”