The Sun campaigns for Harry Kane knighthood after Ballon d'Or win

The Sun has launched a campaign to get Harry Kane knighted after his Ballon d'Or win. The paper's push was presented under the slogan 'Arise Sir Harry', with supporters described as backing the honour for a national hero.

The campaign was discussed on a late-night news programme, where the presenter said a knighthood looked like a near certainty. He described Kane as a role model who has dedicated himself to football and said the player had done the best he could for his country.

The discussion also aired the case against the honour. The presenter asked why Kane should be rewarded when England had not won the World Cup, and he referred to the missed penalty against France before saying he was joking.

The programme set out two precedents:

• Sir Stanley Matthews was described as the first footballer to receive the Ballon d'Or and a knighthood, and the only footballer to have been knighted while still playing.
• The presenter said he could not think of any footballer who had been put into the House of Lords, though he noted that actors such as Lord Olivier had been knighted and then ennobled.

The Ballon d'Or was described as the main global prize for footballers, voted for by football journalists and major outlets. The campaign is based on Kane's individual record and his professional example, rather than on a major team trophy with England.