Harry Kane has urged the Premier League to reintroduce a winter break.
There is no winter break for players in the English top flight this season, despite a two-week winter break having previously been included in the English football calendar.
Last season saw teams get staggered two-week breaks from Premier League action, but without the league completely shutting down.
Kane, into his second season at Bayern Munich, will benefit from the Bundesliga's winter break next month, with the league to pause action between December 23 and January 10, and the England captain believes the Premier League should reverse its decision to scrap its own break.
Kane was speaking on Saturday ahead of starting for England against the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League at Wembley on Sunday.
“It would be great for them [the Premier League] to have the winter break,” Kane said. “We had it for about two years in the Prem, and I think it went down really well with the players.
“There’s been a lot of talk about the schedules — and they are difficult — and in my first real experience of a longer winter break, last year, I felt it really helped me recover in a really tough period.
“That’s probably a wider conversation about the schedule and how that can be helped. It’s a shame they have taken that back again and they don’t get that break. For a lot of players, it was really important even for just a week or so to get away and recharge and finish the season.
“Going into the major tournaments when we have them, it’s obviously a plus.”
Asked whether the football authorities must take seriously players’ view on welfare and fixture congestion, Kane said: “I hope that they do. Whether it is going to change anytime soon, I’m not sure.
“There are conversations to be had behind the scenes — maybe with some of the more experienced players — to try to help the situation. There is definitely a sense that something does need to change to benefit the players more. But as we know, it’s not always an easy solution to make that change.”
Kane was a second-half substitute on Thursday when England beat Greece 3-0 in Athens to move above their hosts in their Nations League B group.
Victory on Sunday over Ireland, when Kane will lead the line, would secure automatic promotion back to the competition’s top tier.
