Daily Record

WORLD AT HIS FEED

Don’tquit saysMart Baleus outJoe WORLD CUP LATEST Kane’s private chef keeps him dining at football’s top table

- JOHN CROSS sport@dailyrecor­d.co.uk

TABLES & FIXTURES

MARTIN O’NEILL expects an “exodus” from the Republic of Ireland squad once this qualifying campaign runs its course.

But the manager is determined to prolong retirement­s for a little bit longer because If Ireland finish with wins over Moldova and Wales they’ll secure a play-off berth.

O’Neill said: “One or two will probably end up calling it a day but I’m hoping it’s not tomorrow or Monday.

“I think there would be a natural exodus.” JOE ALLEN is one of the best midfielder­s in Europe and is as vital to Wales as Gareth Bale, according to Dave Edwards.

Chris Coleman’s Welsh squad flew to Georgia yesterday without star man Bale for their final two qualifiers.

But Reading and Wales midfielder Edwards insists they can rely on Stoke man Allen in Tbilisi.

He said: “I’d want to have Joe Allen in that midfield every day of the week. I think he’s one of the best midfielder­s in Europe, I really do.” HARRY KANE is dining out on a diet of goals.

But the England striker has revealed behind the scenes he has hired a personal chef to make sure he stays in peak condition and never suffers a goal famine.

Kane insisted it has made the world of difference to keeping him fresh in the middle of a hectic fixture list in World Cup year.

Kane has scored 11 goals in his last six games and said: “I have a chef at home to eat the right food, helping recovery.

“You can’t train as hard as you’d like when you have so many games so you have to make the little gains elsewhere, like with food.

“That will help me going into a tournament year, with my body and my recovery. I started doing that on January 1, a New Year’s resolution.

“I met the guy in December. He wasn’t a Spurs fan. He is now. He’s there every day, Monday to Saturday, and leaves it in the fridge.

“I hardly see him because I’m at training but he’ll cook the food and leave it in the fridge. We’ve got a good plan going and it seems to be working.

“I’ve changed a lot off the pitch with the nutrition side of it. It kind of clicked in my head a football career is so short. It goes so quickly you have to make every day count.”

There is no chance of the Spurs striker burning the candle at both ends – he doesn’t even drink during the season.

While Sergio Aguero flew to Amsterdam on his day off to go to a concert Kane is happy to stay at home with his fiancee Kate and their baby.

He said: “When you’re playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday there’s not a lot of time to train so it’s about making those little gains in other ways – ice baths, stretching, nutrition – to keep you as fresh as you can be.

“It’s a big part of football nowadays. My career has gone so quick already, I want to make the most of it.

“Every person is different. No, I wouldn’t do what Aguero did but I can’t say whether it was right or wrong.”

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