Harry Kane says he will be driven to win Euro 2028 on home soil by the pain that England felt as co-hosts two years ago. The captain’s immediate priority is to triumph at the tournament in Germany next summer but he talked of a “special feeling” after England were awarded the finals – along with the other home nations and Ireland – that come after that.
Kane will always be haunted by England’s penalty shootout defeat against Italy in the final of the previous European Championship at Wembley. The 2028 final is expected to be held at the same stadium and he was asked whether his emotions took in unfinished business. “I think so,” Kane said. “We were so close to doing something really magical in the last Euros.
“That’s football. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to but for sure there will be a bit between our teeth. Not just in Germany next summer but being at home [in 2028] and playing games at Wembley will bring back memories of the last Euros. To win a tournament would be special but to win it in your home country would be a dream come true.”
Kane, who moved to Bayern Munich from Tottenham in August, will be 34 when the 2028 finals tournament kicks off and he intends to remain a key part of the international setup at that age. He believes he can play into his late 30s, at least, because of his focus and how he has looked after himself. “The perception in sport or football is that you hit 30 and people start to think it’s the end,” he said. “But the way I am looking at it is that I almost have the second half of my career now.
“I played in the first team at Spurs from 20 or 21 so I have had nine or 10 years at the highest level and I am hoping for another eight or nine years. With recovery, sports science and the way the game has been and adapted, it has allowed players to play for longer. We may have a bit more information over what the players had in the past.”
It was put to Kane that Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski had stayed at the highest level beyond 35. “That makes me believe,” he said. “It shows it is possible to play until your late 30s.
“I have been coming to a stage over the last year or two when it has been coming together – having the experience, knowing your body, knowing the way you want to play, playing in high-pressure games. When you look at a lot of the top-level players – Ronaldo, Messi, Lewandowski, Ibrahimovic – they have almost got better as they hit 30.
“Everything is maybe settled in your personal life, family, kids. You are comfortable with your body and you are comfortable mentally, where you are at, and that just allows you to focus on the football.”
Kane does have some fond memories of the previous European Championship, when England played six of their seven games at Wembley, the atmosphere intense despite the reduced attendances because of the coronavirus pandemic. “That definitely gave us more energy and more belief, and it will be the same in 2028. Having full stadiums and all our fans there, the country excited about it … will definitely help.
“You saw that with the Lionesses [at Euro 2022]. I was there for the final and saw how much it meant to the fans. We have got some of the best stadiums in the world and when we do tournaments here, maybe we’re biased, but there is just that special feeling behind it. It’s massive [to get 2028] not just for us but for future generations. Being young and watching tournaments in your home country can make a big impact in your life.”
Kane said he continues to live in a hotel in Munich because he has not yet found a house; his wife and four children are still in London. There have been new cultural experiences for him such as the Oktoberfest and differences to previously established rhythms, including how Bayern hold a dinner for their players and sponsors after Champions League matches. “I think that’s why Bayern have won 30-odd games in the group stage because that dinner would be a bit harsh if we lost,” he said with a smile.
Kane has started well at Bayern, with nine goals and five assists in 10 appearances, but the strange thing is that Spurs are top of the Premier League while his new club are third in the Bundesliga.
“I have made it clear my whole career that I am a Tottenham fan and I would love to see Tottenham do well,” he said. “There is no other team in the Premier League I would want to win more than Tottenham.”
