HARRY KANE draws inspiration from former idols David Beckham and Wayne Rooney as he chases World Cup glory.
Kane spoken once England captain Beckham when Goldenballs visited the team’s training camp during the group stage.
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And after the move to within one goal of Rooney‘s all-time Three Lions record, the tracks striker revealed how another predecessor as skipper propels him to greatness.
Kane, who famously met Beckham as a child, said: “Becks went to my high school, the Chingford Foundation. We both played for Ridgeway Rovers, our Sunday League team.
“He was my biggest idol growing up. He was here last. We had a good conversation.
“He was one of the best captains we’ve ever had.
“I wasn’t just asking questions about games or how he was feeling, it was more to get to know his experiences, how he feels about our team, what he sees in our team.
“We talked about everything. He is very enthusiastic about the national team. He loves to watch us play.
“It’s great to get support from ex-players. They know how much it means to represent your country. They’re all part of the team.”
Beckham visited the England squad following a training session at the invitation of Three Lions boss and former international team-mate Gareth Southgate.
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Earlier Manchester United and RealMadrid superstar Beckham won 115 caps.
And the Goldenballs’ free-kick winner in the last-16 victory over Ecuador in the 2006 final means he remains the only Englishman to score in three separate World Cups.
Becks also scored in 1998, against Colombia, and 2002, the winner against Argentina, and also appeared in the 2000 and 2004 European Championships.
But he had “the worst moment of my career” when he was sent off against Argentina in 1998 for a sulky kick at Diego Simeone and England crashed out on penalties.
Kane, 29, never played alongside Beckham but was on the pitch when Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton‘s goal record with a penalty against Switzerland in 2015.
That was Rooney’s 50th international goal and the Manchester United legend finished with 53 goals in total from 120 appearances.
Kane’s rocket shot in Sunday’s 3-0 victory over Senegal took him to 52 – and he has his sights set on Saturday’s World Cup quarter-final with France.
Kane said: “The record wasn’t something I thought about in the beginning.
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“I played when Wayne Rooney broke the record and saw how much it meant to him.
“A few months later he was presented with a trophy (to commemorate the record) and said he wanted me to present it because he thought I was going to break the record.
“Praise from him, someone I’ve looked up to all my life watching England and playing with him meant a lot.
“When he said that, I thought ‘maybe that’s something I can achieve.'”
Kane’s goal against Senegal put him 11 ahead of Gary Lineker as England’s most prolific striker at major tournaments.
Kane told the Lions’ Den with M&S Food: “It’s hard when you’re in it and thinking about the next game, thinking about France and getting through it.
“When I finish playing I will definitely look back and be extremely proud and I will be extremely proud when I break the record.
“If I was a teenager watching I would be so excited and impressed, but it’s a different feeling when you’re in the thick of it.
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve been doing, he keeps pushing you.
Kane on Henderson
“If it can be done at this tournament, it would be nice, because it would probably mean that the team is doing well too – we’ll have to see.
“It was nice to get it against Senegal and get one step closer.”
Kane strives to match and exceed the standards set by the two former England captains.
But he also appreciates the role Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson plays as he and the team try to become Qatar heroes.
Henderson — winner of the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool — set England up with the opening goal against Senegal and Kane said: “Hendo is one of the best leaders I’ve played with.
“He’s very vocal, he pushes players to push their limits and that’s why he’s been great.
“He’s excellent with and without the ball and he pushes everyone. As we insisted, it’s good to hear him pushing you.
“We have different types of leaders – we may have four or five different types of personalities, but people have great personalities and he is one of them.
And it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done, he keeps pushing you.
“It was great for him to score and a lot of the good things we’ve done we owe to his role in the team.”