Harry Kane is nowhere near thinking about calling time on his playing career. The 33-year-old is still operating at the very highest level for FC Bayern and says he feels so good at present that retirement is not even something he is considering. Instead, the England captain is drawing inspiration from some of the greatest footballers the game has seen.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Kane was asked whether he had already thought about when the right moment to retire might be. His response left no room for doubt.

“No. At this stage of my career, I’m mainly trying to enjoy these moments. I feel so good right now that I’m more focused on how I can maintain this form for as long as possible,” said the Bayern striker.

Kane still has major targets in front of him. Most notably, winning the Champions League with Bayern Munich remains absent from what is already an impressive list of honours. The forward is also still waiting for a major title with the England national team.

“There are still things I want to win at the club level. The same goes for the national team. That’s why, for me, it’s about savouring this moment for as long as possible,” Kane stressed.

Rather than dwelling on retirement, Kane is more focused on how he can preserve his current standard for as long as he can. “I ask myself how I can make sure it stays this way forever. As we know, that won’t be the case,” the Englishman said.

In recent years, a number of elite stars have shown that it is possible to keep performing at the top level even at a more advanced age in football. For Kane, three names in particular stand out as sources of motivation.

“But when I see players like Messi, Ronaldo, and Luka Modrić, who play into their late thirties or even their forties, it motivates me to achieve that as well.”

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi especially have demonstrated over many years that extraordinary performances can be sustained for a long time with the right physical condition. Luka Modrić, too, represents proof for Kane that in modern football, age does not automatically signal the end of a career at the highest level.

Kane’s comments are likely to be warmly received by FC Bayern’s decision-makers. Both sides are currently working on an extension to his contract, which is due to run until 2027.

Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen recently suggested that Kane is not planning his future with only the short term in mind. The Bayern executive explained that the striker and those around him are generally anticipating a longer playing career.

Kane himself also recently underlined that, while the contract now under discussion will be an important one for him, it does not necessarily have to be the final deal of his career.

His displays on the pitch offer little indication that retirement is approaching any time soon. Last season, the 33-year-old scored a combined 73 goals for FC Bayern and the England national team, making it the most prolific campaign of his career.

Kane now wants to sustain this outstanding level for as long as possible. If he can do it as successfully as his role models Messi, Ronaldo and Modrić, “Eternal Harry” could remain a familiar presence for football supporters — and perhaps for FC Bayern too — for many years yet.