Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has admitted that he is "proud" to be talked about in the same manner as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi following his breathtaking 2017.
The 24-year-old outscored both players, who between them have shared the last 10 Ballon d'Or awards, thanks to a tally of 56 goals in all competitions last year.
England international Kane has now revealed the lengths that he has gone to in order to rival the world's best players, acknowledging that he only has a short window to challenge at the very top.
"They've been such good players over the last ten years or so, and dominated football and rightly so," he told ESPN. "They'll go down as two of the best ever players. To even be up there and beat them is something I'm proud of. For me, it's about doing it every year.
"Not just beating them but winning as many trophies as they've won. I've sacrificed most of my time, especially with the schedule of games. You come in, you train, you play, you recover, you rest. That's a footballer's life. I don't complain. It's something I love doing.
"But you lose maybe the social part of your life. It's a matter of opinion. Not every player does what I do. Some players may go out, go for meals - that kind of thing. From my point of view, to get the best out of myself, it's about going home, resting, recovering, spending time with my family and do everything I can in that short period of time to achieve what I can."
Kane, whose 56 goals last year came in 52 appearances, has already got off the mark for 2018 with a brace against AFC Wimbledon at the weekend.
Daniel Lewis
