As Harry Kane continues his Bundesliga title charge, he’ll next line up against someone he may well have not seen in over a decade.
Kane’s Bayern Munich look to carry on their perfect league start with a trip away to the very north of Germany where they face Holstein Kiel for only the second time in their incredibly storied history.
Kiel made it up to the top flight for the first time in their history ahead of the 2024/25 season, and fans have been rewarded with a visit of the record champions just three games in.
Kiel earned promotion through a number of cult heroes, but none more cult-ish than Kane’s former teammate at Tottenham, Lewis Holtby.
The name will certainly be familiar for many Premier League fans, as the midfielder made 38 top flight appearances in England across four seasons with Spurs and Fulham, recording two goals and five assists.
Holtby, who has an English father, moved to Spurs in 2013 from Schalke, but failed to make an impact at White Hart Lane.
His last appearance for the London side came at the start of the 2014/15 season in a Europa League qualifier against AEL Limassol, and he lined up alongside Kane for the seventh and final time.
That match was over ten years ago, with Holtby going on loan to Fulham then Hamburg, before joining the latter permanently.
Holtby would then return to England with Blackburn in 2019, spending two seasons in the Championship before heading to current club Kiel.
The three-time Germany international was key in the club’s promotion, scoring a number of key goals, and Kane’s Bayern will have to be careful, particularly if history is anything to go by.
The sides have only met on one previous occasion, in 2021 in the German Cup. The second round match at the Holstein-Stadion finished 2-2 at full-time, before Kiel caused a cupset with a penalty shoot-out win.
Bayern will still be confident of getting their revenge this weekend, given they have two wins from two and the home side have lost both of their opening league matches.
Kane opened his Bundesliga account for the season in one of those games against Freiburg, while he added another in the cup against Ulm.
Kane could even smash a Bundesliga record this weekend.
If he gets three goal contributions against Kiel he would reach 50 in the German top-flight in just 35 games.
It would be the fastest anyone has ever reached the total, including Erling Haaland who did it in 43 matches.
And that will give Kane eight bites at the cherry - which you imagine he won't waste.
Bayern's results so far this season have seen them steal an early march on the team likely to be their main competition for the title, reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen.