Harry Kane is a man on a mission. Not just for Bayern Munich but also for himself.

It's simple: the England captain finally wants to win silverware of note. Despite winning goal-scoring trophies and featuring in five finals, Kane has never tasted victory in a major competition, a run of futility that has even made some question whether Kane, regardless of all his goals, is made for the biggest stage. Those doubts have followed him to Germany, where his first year with Bayern Munich ended trophy-less, an unusual feat for the 33-time German league champions.

"I looked at the greats of the game and what made them great, and it wasn't just doing it in spells: it was doing it year after year," Kane told ESPN in an exclusive.

"That was a big drive of mine to be able to consistently be one of the best players in the world. And that drive will be with me until the end of my career, whether I finish with one trophy or 20 trophies. Ultimately, it won't change my mindset, what I want to achieve and how I try and achieve it."

Football, like professional sports in general, is all about opportunities and goals. The goal for Bayern is to win the UEFA Champions League final on May 31, which will be played at their home ground, Allianz Arena, for the second time in history.

The first Finale dahoam ("final at home") in 2012 ended in a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Chelsea. Kane, who himself played for Tottenham Hotspur in the 2019 final and lost to Liverpool, was not just signed to score against the Augsburgs and Werder Bremens of this world, but to lead Bayern to the summit of European football.

Kane is familiar with pressure and the fact that a prolific goal scorer like him doesn't get much praise for racking up 20 or 30 goals during a season. It is expected of him, but yet, he is proud of what he has achieved regardless.

"There's a lot of people out there who talk about football and commentate on football or do stuff on football who don't really understand football that much," he said. "I know there's been games where I've scored and not played great, and I've been spoken about in this high light, and there's been games where I haven't scored and been one of the best players on the pitch."

During the recent international break, Kane spoke about his aura and the feeling of how defenders play against him. They might approach him slightly differently because of what he represents, the huge price tag when he made his transfer to Bayern in 2023, the England armband, and his name recognition.

"I don't even know if aura was the right word," he said. "I just think: being on the big stage, more often than not, it just kind of puts you out there a little bit more. And I think the more you can do it in those big nights, the more respected you become."

At least two big nights await Bayern in the form of two Champions League quarterfinal matches against Serie A leaders Internazionale. After that, either Barcelona or Borussia Dortmund would be next in the semifinals. Quite the opposition en route to a possible final at home.

"[Winning the Champions League] has been a dream of mine pretty much my whole life," he said. "And we have the opportunity to do that this year. But also to do it at home in front of our fans at the Allianz, I think would make it that even more bit special. And I think when you have the opportunity to do stuff like that, it makes you excited."

While Bayern are slight favorites against Inter, they are dealing with some injury woes as defenders Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies both suffered knee injuries, which could make the matchup even more fascinating.

"The expectation is to win everything every season. I felt that last year," he said. "We didn't win anything, and there was a lot of noise around the club, and probably rightly so. So, when you're at these clubs, the expectation is high not just for yourself but for the team."

But when it comes to his own performance and dealing with expectations and criticism, it's all about perspective in Kane's eyes.

"I feel like there's been a lot of great moments," he said. "I've given people a lot of joy over the years, and I hope even more joy is to come, but ultimately, if I keep doing what I'm doing, I know I'll be seen as a top player, but also a top person as well."

It's the kind of mature attitude that made Kane the top target for Bayern in 2023, in addition to his unquestioned talent on the pitch, and that make him the perfect representative for a globally operating club. At the same time, there is a maturity he brings to Bayern's attack filled with rising stars, most notably Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise. These two are usually the driving force behind Kane while the Englishman is their target player, be it directly at the offside line or a little bit deeper.

When asked about Musiala, Kane couldn't have been any more complimentary about the 22-year-old star.

"He's a great guy, first and foremost," he said. "Obviously still extremely young, but willing to learn, willing to work hard, and he's just got a good side to him, a good fun side to him that I think everyone loves. And then on the pitch he is one of the best I've played with."

Not bad praise considering Kane has played with many brilliant players at Tottenham and with England over the years.

It has been said that he hit it off quite well with younger teammates, but also with club veterans like Thomas Müller who, as things stand, won't continue as a player for Bayern come June. One thing Müller might not be so helpful with is Kane's progress in learning German.

"I think as an Englishman I'm quite spoiled," he said. "Obviously, a lot of people speak English around the world, and it kind of opens your eyes to learn a new language and how difficult it is for other people learning English. I've heard [Müller's] German is quite strong and quite hard to understand even for Germans. So maybe I'll go to someone a little easier to begin with, but who knows."

Learning German is just a way for Kane to connect even better in his everyday life in Munich. He confessed that the first months without his family in Munich were quite tough, but that he's settled in now. Whether this means he won't return to England to potentially break the Premier League goal-scoring record held by Alan Shearer remains up in the air.

"I've said throughout my whole career, I'm not someone who likes to think too far ahead," he said. "I'm extremely happy here. I think we have a fantastic team, fantastic coaching staff, and I just feel like, whilst I feel like I'm in the best condition, I want to play at the highest level possible. And this is as high as it gets."