England captain Harry Kane says he is inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo to stay in shape and prolong his career for many years to come.
The Bayern Munich striker will be presented with his 100th cap when the Three Lions host Finland on Tuesday night, making him the 10th player to earn such an achievement.
And at 31, many fans are starting to question whether the former Tottenham man has it in him to be his country’s leading man.
But Kane’s words are that he has many more things he wants to achieve before he hangs his boots up.
Speaking ahead of the match, he said: “I feel in really good shape, both physically and mentally, at a peak in my career. Watching other players, [Cristiano] Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal, seeing him compete at 39 years old 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.
It’s time to head live to @SpursOfficial‘s training ground 🚨@HKane and Lee Carsley are here to preview tomorrow’s #NationsLeague game against Finland… 🗣️ https://t.co/qP9y4pjOo2
— England (@England) September 9, 2024
“For me, personally, now it’s about continuing to improve and being consistent both in an England shirt and at club level.
“I’m hungry for more. I’m determined to keep pushing the boundaries.”
Hungry for more
England have come so close to greatness in recent years, making a World Cup semi-final and two Euro finals.
And the latest heartbreak has hit home with Kane, who says he is determined to win something with his country.
The Bayern forward also reflected on his 100th cap, a milestone moment in his career.
He added: “It is really special. I always say it is sometimes hard to sink in when you are playing. I spoke previously about that with the goalscoring record, but this one I am extremely proud of.
Ready for his 💯th cap!
Harry Kane is set to start against Finland at Wembley Stadium tomorrow night in his 100th #ThreeLions appearance 🏴❤️
— England (@England) September 9, 2024
“It is something I am really excited for, my family will be there to enjoy the moment as well and it is a moment I am sure when I am retired I will look back on.
“The mood is good. The performance [against Republic of Ireland] was really good.
“There were areas especially in the second half where we could have controlled it better. It was as good an away performance as you could ask for.
“Everyone is excited to be back home in front of our own fans and we want to put on a performance, play an attacking style and we can only do that when are on the pitch tomorrow.”
