(Reuters) – Harry Kane says he is hoping to be in top shape for another eight or nine years and wants to help England win the European Championship on home soil in 2028.
England’s top scorer, who will be a month shy of 35 when the 2028 Euros kick off, said it would be a “dream come true” to win the tournament having lost the 2020 final to Italy at Wembley.
“The perception in sport or football is that you hit 30 and people start to think it’s the end,” the Bayern Munich striker said after the UK and Ireland were named Euros hosts.
“But the way I am looking at it is that I almost have the second half of my career now.
“I’ve had nine or 10 years at the highest level and I’m hoping for another eight or nine years.
“With recovery, sports science and the way the game has adapted, it has allowed players to play for longer,” added Kane, who turned 30 in July.
Kane cited Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as examples of players who were still performing at the highest level in their thirties.
“When you look at a lot of the top-level players — Ronaldo, Messi, (Robert) Lewandowski, (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic — they have almost got better as they hit 30,” he added.
“Everything is maybe settled in your personal life, family, kids. You are comfortable with your body and you are comfortable mentally, where you are at. That just allows you to focus on the football.”
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(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
