Record-breaker Harry Kane continues to strive for more success
Kane will become England’s most-capped player when he leads his country out against Croatia.
Harry Kane believes even his recent Ballon d’Or win will not stop him feeling like he has to prove himself.
Kane, who will become England’s most-capped player when he leads his country out against Croatia on Thursday, has faced questions throughout his entire career, starting from his release from Arsenal as a child.
He faced tough loan spells in the Football League, was branded a one-season wonder after a prolific campaign for Tottenham and then people raised an eyebrow when he said he wanted to become a World Cup Golden Boot winner.
The 33-year-old has just been voted the best player in the world after a decade of consistent performances, but is using the feeling of being doubted to ensure he ends his career with no regrets.
Asked if he still had a point to prove, he said: “I think so. I don’t think that will ever leave me.
“It’s probably part of what makes me push myself to the limits that I do because in football, you’ve never completed it, really.
“No matter what you’ve achieved, there is always a trophy that someone else has won or a goal record that someone else has or whatever it may be, I think there’s always something.
“Whether it’s noise from the outside … media or the fans or whatever it may be, it just helps motivate me to realise there’s a lot more to achieve.
“My biggest fear is finishing my career and thinking I could have done a bit more if I could have just done that or done that.
“I want to make sure that I cross every bridge and do everything possible so that whenever that day does come, I can say I’ve done everything possible.
“I have this record, I don’t have this record but it doesn’t matter, I can sleep well at night.
“I think it’s just my mindset, because I’ve maybe had to prove people wrong my whole career.
“From early academy days proving coaches wrong, proving scouts wrong – it has just been installed in me.
“I think if someone tells me I can’t do something it just motivates me more to do it. You of course have to combine the mentality with the actual product and being able to produce it.
“So that’s where I think the self-belief and the training and all the consistent work I do has allowed me to do that.”
At 33, Kane is entering the autumn of his career, but he has not set limits on what he still wants to achieve – namely winning a trophy with his country.
He does not see winning the Ballon d’Or as the pinnacle and wants to set targets for the next set of players to catch.
“I think not setting limits is a big thing, or if you feel like you’re going to slow down and say, ‘OK, you’ve reached that record, and now you’re going to slow down’.
“But ultimately, if anything, I’ve got better year on year, and the numbers have got better.
“While I’m feeling like this, there’s no limit on it, why would I do any limit on it? I’m just on the back of scoring 73 goals in one year, which is incredible.
“A lot of these things seem a long way away, but as we know, the seasons go by so quick, and before we know it it’ll be the Euros, a home Euros, I might be on 140 caps by then, or whatever it may be, and then we’ll be talking about 150.
“I think it all just happens so quick, and comes around so quick, so I just like to roll with it, and whilst I’m feeling good, let’s see.
“When you look at Jude (Bellingham) and Dec (Rice), for example, they’re on 60-odd caps already and how young they are. So I’ll try and give them a good number to catch.
“The goal record, of course, is going to be one that’s difficult to beat for a while, I think that’s good.”