England captain Harry Kane has revealed he is coming into this summer of football with a clear mind, free from the distraction of his own future being undecided.
Kane is part of the Three Lions squad who play four Nations League games in 10 days, kicking off with a trip to Hungary on Saturday.
The 28-year-old is in buoyant mood having helped Tottenham gatecrash the top four and book Champions League football under Antonio Conte.
It is a far cry from last summer when he joined up with his country for the Euro 2020 campaign with his club future up in the air, having expressed his desire to leave Spurs.
There are no such issues this year, with Kane understood to be happy with the direction the club is heading under Conte, who is expected to get more than £150million to spend in the transfer market.
Kane says his settled club life will make things easier when he pulls on the Three Lions shirt.
“Whenever you finish strongly with your club there is always a freer mind going into the international stage,” he said.
“Obviously, last summer we had a major European competition, a large tournament. So of course you have different feelings towards that than maybe you would towards the Nations League games.
“It was a fantastic summer last year in terms of the tournament. It ended obviously very disappointingly, but going into these games I feel confident, I feel free.
“We had a good finish as a team towards the end of the season and I had a good season personally, which is always great.
“So I am looking forward to carrying that on into these games. Then, as I touched on earlier, getting a nice break over the summer.”
Kane’s clear mind will make him a good bet to become England’s highest ever scorer over the next four games.
The striker is currently on 49, four behind Wayne Rooney, and would love a place in the record books.
“Of course I think it would be an incredible achievement. I was lucky enough to be playing on the pitch and actually scored when Wayne broke the record himself,” he added.
“I saw how much it meant to him and his family. I did not really think that far ahead at that stage.
“But to be where I am now – four goals behind Wayne with plenty of games coming up this year- it would be an incredible achievement.
“Whenever you are in among the names of Rooney and (Gary) Lineker and (Bobby) Charlton and players like that you are doing something worthwhile.
“But I am focused on trying to help the team. I always feel if I am doing my best for the team then the goals will come.”
Kane spent last week building his brand in America and, when appearing on the Jimmy Fallon Show, again floated the idea of becoming an NFL player when he finishes football.
But Kane would like his legacy to be winning a World Cup with England.
“I guess the ideal career would be a World Cup, a Super Bowl and maybe a Masters green jacket, if I am lucky enough to do that as well,” he said.
“Football is my first thought always and it is what has got me to where I am now. I still enjoy training and every game I play.
“I would love to win the World Cup, there is not one player who wouldn’t. It is my next opportunity to win a trophy, so really looking forward to that.
“The last two tournaments have been good, we have come really close to creating some real history that will last forever.
“We have that opportunity again at the end of the year and I really look forward to that chance to hopefully win a major trophy with our country. But there is still a lot of hard work from now until then.”
