Harry Kane believes England’s squad is “as good as we’ve ever had” and says his side are ready to end 60 years of World Cup hurt this summer.
The 32-year-old will lead his country to North America hoping to become the first Englishman to lift the trophy since Bobby Moore in 1966.
After reaching back-to-back European Championship finals under Sir Gareth Southgate, they qualified for the World Cup comfortably under Thomas Tuchel.
And with Kane “playing the best football of my career” and the likes of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice shining, the skipper says they are among the favourites.
“I think our squad is as good as we’ve ever had,” Kane, who is launching an England Challenge where fans can win a golden boot cast from his own boots at immersive football venue TOCA Social, told the Press Association.
“I think when you look at the starting XI, you look at the players coming off the bench, we’re going into the tournament as one of the favourites.
“We’ve been building together as a team over the past few camps under Thomas.
“I think we’ve set the standard, and now we look forward to continuing this into the World Cup next month.
“There’s always something special about playing at the World Cup.
“There’s a special feeling inside, especially when you win.
“We know how much a World Cup win would mean, not just to us, but to the fans and the country itself.
“That’s what drives us on the pitch, and hopefully we can bring it home for the fans.”
Kane will head into his third World Cup on the back of a stellar season for Bayern Munich, where he has scored 58 goals in 50 appearances across all competitions.
It is 10 years since he won his first of three Premier League Golden Boots and while the goals have not slowed down, Kane’s game has evolved to the point where he describes himself as a “complete footballer”.
“When I won my first Golden Boot, I was still fairly young,” he said.
“I’m at a stage of my career where I’m definitely a different player from what I was 10 years ago.
“I’ve learnt a lot from then to now. I’m more experienced. I’ve developed my game by dropping into those deeper spaces and linking up play.
“My understanding of the game and my positioning have reached a completely different level.
“I feel like a much more complete footballer. And honestly, I think I am playing the best football of my career right now.
“I am enjoying the player that I am now, for sure.”
Kane will have another personal milestone in his sights this summer as he chases three goals which would put him ahead of Gary Lineker as the country’s record scorer at the World Cup.
“Gary was an incredible striker for England, and to achieve 10 World Cup goals is impressive,” Kane added.
“Personal milestones are, of course, a motivator. As a striker, I always want to score every time I step on to the pitch, and those milestones are always nice things to achieve.
“But the ultimate motivation is playing with the boys and winning matches. If I score those goals to pass Gary’s record, it means I’m helping the team win, and that’s the perfect scenario.”
Kane is providing a golden boot of a different kind as he has donated a boot he has worn to be cast as the TOCA Trophy, where fans compete in an “England challenge” at the immersive venues to take it home.
“I got to give the challenge a go and it was great fun,” Kane said. “I ended up playing for ages because I wanted to beat my score, and it was more challenging than I thought it would be.”
:: The England Challenge is available to play at all TOCA Social venues in the UK from today. Book now: https://www.toca.social
