A statue of Harry Kane was unveiled in London on Monday as the England captain revealed he hopes to play for his country until the 2030 World Cup.
Waltham Forest, a council in north London, spent £7,200 on the likeness between 2019 and 2020, but had not been able to find a permanent home for it due to local regulations.
The statue, which depicts the country’s all-time top goal scorer sitting on a bench with a ball on his knee, has now been placed at the Peter May Sports Centre in Walthamstow, London, with the former Tottenham forward visiting the site for the unveiling.
Ridgeway Rovers, the youth team Kane played for from the age of five, played their games at the venue.
“I played on these pitches as a five-year-old with dreams of playing for England, and I’ve been lucky enough to achieve that,” Kane told BBC Newsround. “Hopefully the boys and girls will walk past and be inspired by the story of my journey, my life and hard work.”
He also posted on X: “A real proud moment for me to go back to where my life in football began and unveil a statue. I hope it helps inspire the next generation to work hard and believe in themselves.”
Kane, 31, spoke to reporters at the event, saying that he has not ruled out playing well beyond the 2026 World Cup.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked by PA if the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada would be his last edition.
“Sometimes there’s a perception when you get to your 30s that you’re coming to an end but for me, personally, I’m performing at the highest level I’ve every performed and feel as good as I’ve ever felt.”
Kane played a starring role in England’s 5-0 thrashing of Ireland on Sunday, playing a sublime pass to Jude Bellingham that helped the Real Madrid man earn a penalty kick, which Kane duly dispatched to give his team the lead.
After the game, the Bayern Munich striker said that incoming England coach Thomas Tuchel has been boosted by the emergence of a crop of young players under interim boss Lee Carsley.