The England player, a medicine ball and the £10k repair bill

Role model Harry hires his own chef to give him an edge

THE last permanent England captain now needs to employ a chauffeur, but the man most likely to succeed him has opted instead for a chef.

Fortunately for Gareth Southgate, Wayne Rooney’s off-the-field problems are no longer his concern and it was clear yesterday how delighted the England manager was to hear his skipper for this evening’s World Cup encounter with Slovenia presenting himself in a more positive light.

Harry Kane does appear to be a coach’s dream, and not just because he is fast emerging as one of the finest strikers in world football. It is the dedication and professionalism that accompany his considerable ability.

He has worked out — and it is depressing how many talented athletes are slow to grasp this — that a top-level sports career can be all too brief. It is why he has hired a chef who has educated him on not just what to eat but when to eat it in order to maximise his performance on the pitch.

Kane was already a model professional. He is unlikely to copy Rooney by driving while over the limit any time soon because he doesn’t drink during the season. To Kane, a night of excess is a bowl of apple crumble.

But hiring the chef was a response to the fatigue he felt by the time he arrived in France for last year’s European Championship, and it seems to have paid off, judging by the 13 goals he has scored in his last eight games.

‘It kind of clicked in my head that a football career is so short,’ he said. ‘It goes so quickly you have to make every day count.

‘So over the last year or so I’ve changed a lot off the pitch, particularly with the nutrition side. I have a chef at home to help me eat the right food, and help with 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. That will help me going into a tournament year, with my body and my recovery.’

Kane wouldn’t name the chef, perhaps for fear of him being lured away by a rival offering better terms. But he said the individual in question has a background in sports nutrition that has been enormously valuable.

‘He’s learned his trade,’ said Kane. ‘Someone I know recommended him and when I got him round and spoke to him it blew me away. I’d never looked too much into it, but when he explained what the body does and how he could help me recover... he helped me in the recovery from injury too, with certain foods I was eating. It opened my eyes.

‘I met the guy in December. We had a baby on the way. We knew that would take up a lot of time. I was cooking, my missus was cooking, the food was getting boring. So I started doing it on January 1 this year; a new year’s resolution, if you like, making plans around training.’

Rarely since becoming England manager had Southgate had an easier press conference. He was happily sitting there in silence. But he did feel the need to interrupt, if only to save Kane from a hostile reception on his return home from international duty. Southgate thought it necessary to stress that Kane was talking about his own cooking being bland rather than his partner’s. ‘Yeah, just mine,’ he quickly added, head in hands.

Southgate was nevertheless impressed. ‘He’s absolutely the kind of role model you want,’ he said of Kane. ‘You’re talking about a player trying to maximise his ability, finding every edge. The marginal gains make a difference at this level. He wants to become one of the best in the world. For me, that’s a mindset that will inspire others. The more people like that in my squad, it starts to become a self-fulfilling prophecy with everyone striving for more.’

This evening is, of course, about securing England’s place at next summer’s World Cup by beating a Slovenia side Southgate recognises as potentially dangerous opponents who have proved themselves difficult to score against.

A year ago they held England to a goalless draw, after all, and the absence of the suspended Dele Alli at Wembley is sure to make the task that little bit tougher. Raheem Sterling will deputise for Alli in the central role on the back of some fine displays for Manchester City.

Role models nevertheless remain important, and this week Southgate continued the theme of inviting ex-players to speak to his squad by asking Alan Shearer to address them.

‘I think it’s really valuable for the players to hear the experiences of former England internationals,’ said Southgate. ‘And I want them to appreciate that being in the team now is a great honour because you’re just one of many who have worn the shirt.’

Kane certainly gets it.