Even as rumours swirl over his future in the England national team, captain Harry Kane said that he does not think that the 2026 World Cup will be his final swansong for the country.

At the unveiling of his statue and mural at the east London home of his former youth team Ridgeway Rovers, Kane was asked if the upcoming World Cup will be his last to win something with England.

“I don’t think so. I think there’s a perception when you get to your 30s that you’re coming to an end, but for me I’m performing at the highest level I’ve ever performed and feel as good as I’ve ever felt, so it’s about taking in the moment. I don’t like to look too far ahead, and in my career I never have,” he said.

“The World Cup (in the U.S., Mexico and Canada) is going to be exciting. In America it will be an incredible occasion and ultimately it’s about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years,” the 31-year-old added.

After being surprisingly omitted from the team in England’s 3-0 win against Greece on Thursday, Kane made his way back against Ireland on Sunday where he extended his all-time England scoring record to 69 goals in 103 matches as the Three Lions won 5-0.

Talking about the statue, he said, “It’s pretty special to be honest, these are things I didn’t think of when I was young. It all began here and it was the building blocks of my career. This is a great inspiration for the boys and girls who play.”

Asked what it will take for him to have a statue outside Wembley, alongside Bobby Moore, England’s 1966 World Cup-winning captain, Kane said, “I think we need to win a major tournament.

“We’ve come close on a couple of occasions and the next step is for me and the other boys to win. We have a new coach coming in March (Thomas Tuchel). He’ll be great for us, he has vast experience in the big competitions, he’ll bring a great energy to the team and he’ll put his own stamp and identity on the way we play tactically.

(With Agency Inputs)