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Harry Kane has said he believes he is at his “physical and mental peak” and reiterated his desire to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo by playing into his late thirties.
Ronaldo, 39, scored the 901st goal of his remarkable career as Portugal came from behind to beat Scotland 2-1 on Sunday night.
Kane is set to win his 100th England cap when the Three Lions face Finland in a UEFA Nations League clash at Wembley on Tuesday, becoming the 10 men’s player to reach that milestone and the first since Wayne Rooney in 2014.
The 31-year-old is already England’s all-time record scorer with 66 goals and he will be presented with a golden cap in a special ceremony before kick-off.
However, Kane’s individual performances were criticised during England’s Euro 2024 campaign and he was substituted in the final against Spain after another underwhelming display.
Yet Bayern Munich striker Kane, who is set to start against Finland, said: “I feel in really good shape. I feel both physically and mentally at a peak in my career. Just watching other players like Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal yesterday and seeing him compete at 38, 39 years old, just inspires me to play for as long as possible.
“I love this game, I love representing England more than anything and I don’t want it to end any time soon. For me, it is about continuing to improve, being consistent in an England shirt and at club level. Who knows how many caps or goals I can get but I am hungry for more and determined to keep pushing the boundaries.
“Sometimes it is hard to sink in while you are still playing and while the moments come. I’ve spoken about that previously with some of the goalscoring records but this is one I am extremely proud of.
“It shows great consistency over a long period of time. Some of the other players who have achieved it are some of our greatest ever players. It is something I am really excited for. I’ll have my family there to enjoy the moment as well. For sure, a moment when I’m retired that I’ll look back on with immense pride.”
Asked whether he knew Ronaldo personally, Kane replied: “No. I’ve met him a couple of times at different events but he was someone — both he and [Lionel] Messi — I looked up to growing up.
“There were in their prime as I was coming into the teenage years and probably when I was coming into football and really wanted to improve and get better, not just when I loved football. Both of them were inspirations to me.
“But I just think to have that hunger and desire and that determination, almost a sense to keep proving people wrong and proving to yourself that you can keep being the best you can be so whenever the days comes when you stop playing, you can be proud have what you’ve done.
“I try to use different players to motivate me, especially players who are older than me. To score over 900 goals in your career is an exceptional record and to play until the age he is, is really inspiring. I think that just helps and motivates me to know I’ve got many more years ahead at the highest level.”
Lee Carsley confirmed there would be “two or three changes” to the team that beat Ireland 2-0 in his first game as interim boss last weekend but once again refused to be drawn on whether he was getting closer to securing the job on a permanent basis.
“I feel like we’re a step closer as a team,” he said. “I try not to think about myself too much, if I’m being honest. It is almost insignificant whether it is an issue or not.
“The best person should get the job. It is an unbelievable job, there are a great group of players and potential. I know exactly what my role is over the next three camps so I’m more than comfortable with that.”