In case you haven’t noticed, a footballer’s prime has changed.
Gone are the days of party animals like George Best and Ronaldinho, who got by on supreme talent rather than ensuring peak physical health at all times.
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It’s widely been considered over time that footballers peak in their mid-to-late twenties before starting to decline, but that’s no longer the case.
The likes of Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo represent the modern footballer, who hone their skills, maintain their bodies, and if anything, get better with age.
Harry Kane, 27, is also one of those people. It’s why £150million for his signature is about right.
The Tottenham forward’s numbers could continue to increase well into his thirties because of his lifestyle.
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Bayern’s Lewandowski, 32, was described as ‘The Body’ by Pep Guardiola while the Man City boss was in charge of the Bundesliga club, while 36-year-old Ronaldo’s incredible fitness regime is well documented.
Since 2017, Kane has employed a nutritionist to ensure a long, healthy career.
He, too, is part of this new wave of footballers who understand the decline can be delayed through commitment to a particular lifestyle.
You don’t see Kane spilling out of nightclubs at 4am. His life outside football is also dedicated to football.
AFP
It’s why he expects his extraordinary numbers to go north for many years to come.
Speaking to Gary Neville recently, Kane said: “I still feel like I’ve got almost another career to play. I’ve got another seven or eight years.
“I’m not rushing anything. I’m not desperate to do anything. I feel like for sure I’ve got so much more to give.
“I feel like I can be even better than what I’ve been. I can produce better numbers than what I’m producing at the moment.
AFP
“I’m not afraid to say that I want to be the best. I’m not afraid to say I want to try get on the level that Ronaldo and Messi got to. You know, that’s my ultimate goal.
“That’s my aim, to be winning trophies season in, season out. Scoring 50, 60, 70 goals season in, season out. That’s the standard I want to set myself.”
Given that Lewandowski has scored 255 goals for club and country since he turned 28, we reckon most top clubs would’ve happily paid £150m on his 28th birthday.
Kane, who just won another Premier League Golden Boot and turns 28 this July, should be no different.
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