England captain Harry Kane has brushed aside any discussion about retirement, insisting that he is currently performing at the peak of his physical and mental powers.

Kane’s remarks come after a demanding summer at the 2026 World Cup with England, where the Three Lions were eliminated by Argentina in the semi-finals.

The Bayern Munich striker believes his focus on recovery and physical conditioning can help him follow the example of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric by prolonging his career at the highest level well into his late 30s.

After spending the summer leading England’s attack in North America, Kane has spoken about how his outlook on longevity has changed as his career has moved forward.

The 33-year-old said he feels more driven than ever to preserve his place among Europe’s top goalscorers, drawing inspiration from some of modern football’s greatest names.

“I’ve said before that [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, they were just still getting better into their 30s and into their mid 30s,” Kane said during an interview with former Bayern midfielder and TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves. “I think I’m at that peak right now. I feel physically in a great place, mentally.”

The England talisman said reaching his 30s has given him a fresh understanding of how limited a professional career can be, making him appreciate every moment more while also taking greater care of his body.

“I think at this stage you just try and cherish these moments,” Kane added. “The moment I’m in right now, I feel so good - I’ll say how can I just sustain this and just make sure that this lasts forever. As we know it, it won’t - but when I see players like Messi and Ronaldo and Luka Modric and these players playing until late 30s or Ronaldo’s in his 40s now, Luka is in his 40s, it gives me the motivation to be able to do that.”

Central to Kane’s durability and goalscoring return is his commitment to the work he does away from the pitch. Rather than depending purely on natural ability, the Bayern forward explained the level of effort required behind the scenes to make sure he is available for selection every single week.

“I do a lot of work behind the scenes on recovery, on being fit, on making sure I’m available every game and I think that’s a big aspect of scoring this amount of goals,” Kane said, after scoring 73 times in all competitions last season. “I’ll probably say the last six, seven years have been a big part of my career - I think as you get to kind of late 20s, you start to realise this career isn’t going to last forever.”

Kane believes staying consistently fit is one of his key responsibilities for both club and country, helping him remain sharp in front of goal and carry out the role asked of him on the pitch.

“I think availability is a really important thing for any team, any coach, and I try to make sure I’m there for my team and that allows me then to perform to the level where I do and score the goals that I score.”

Bayern Munich are chasing Champions League success this season and will hope Kane’s goals can drive them to the title.

‘The Breakdown: Harry Kane’ premieres on TNT Sports 2 from 17:15 BST on Tuesday, September 8 and will also be available on demand via HBO Max.