Haribo ban, bone broth and acupuncture behind Harry Kane’s push for record England cap
Harry Kane will make his 126th England appearance against Croatia at Wembley on Thursday, overtaking Peter Shilton as the nation’s most capped men’s player. The Bayern Munich striker’s meticulous personal regime — from a sweets ban to specialised acupuncture — has coincided with his best form and recent honours.
Kane cut out sweets at the start of last season after admitting he had previously rewarded himself with a bag of sweets after matches; "I do like a Haribo," he said with a smile after the Nations League win against Czechia in Prague at the end of September. He noticed an improvement in sharpness and the ability to sprint and accelerate more often, an effect he embraced as goals flowed and that he described as becoming "addictive". He finished the season with 61 goals for Bayern Munich and 12 for England, and data from Gradient Sports showed his sprints and accelerations per 90 minutes for Bayern were up significantly on 2024-25.
This season Kane has 10 goals for Bayern and six for England, with his sprint and acceleration statistics again improved, according to the same data. Those numbers formed part of the broader picture that led to his Ballon d’Or coronation two weeks ago.
Kane’s dietary overhaul began more than 10 years ago when he started working with nutritional specialist Dan Sargeant, who prepared his meals and analysed everything from bone broths to the white bits on oranges to tailor plans. He has not worked directly with Sargeant since his transfer from Tottenham to Bayern in 2023 and now has a different chef in Munich, but Kane continues to follow Sargeant’s advice. It is common knowledge that Kane is teetotal during the season; he had a few drinks as he celebrated his Ballon d’Or triumph, and "It was the first and almost certainly the last time he broke his rule."
Kane also emphasises recovery — ice baths, infrared saunas and sleep quality — and has a close relationship with private doctor Alejandro Elorriaga Claraco, who specialises in electrical neurofunctional acupuncture. Claraco was recommended by the golfer Justin Rose after Kane sustained a severe hamstring tear playing for Spurs in 2020; based in Canada, he travels to see Kane and spends at least a week every month with him. During that time Claraco treats Kane on a table for four to five hours each day, using acupuncture needles hooked up to a small battery, and the doctor "has been fundamental in helping Kane to understand his body; what he can and cannot do, plus how he gets over injuries."
Kane’s international record underpins his standing: he scored on his England debut against Lithuania in 2015, 79 seconds after coming on as a substitute for Wayne Rooney, and has 91 goals for his country — an England record. Twenty-one of those goals have come at major tournaments, split between 14 at World Cups and seven at European Championships, and only two European players have more combined goals at World Cups and European Championships: Cristiano Ronaldo (25) and Kylian Mbappé (23). Kane has scored 12 times in knockout rounds and has 21 assists for England, placing him joint-second on the all-time men’s list with Steven Gerrard behind David Beckham (39).
His standout moments for England include the debut goal against Lithuania, the late winner against Tunisia in the 2018 World Cup group stage, the clincher against Germany in the last 16 at Euro 2020 and what he regards as one of his best performances when he scored twice against Ukraine in the quarter-final of that tournament. More recently he scored twice against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the last 32 of the World Cup last summer. Penalty statistics form a large part of his England story: he has 26 successes and five misses, scored on the rebound against Denmark in the Euro 2020 semi-final, and converted under pressure against the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 semi-final and against Mexico in the last World Cup. The miss in the 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in Qatar in 2022 remains a scar, although Kane is on record as saying the World Cup semi-final exit against Argentina in the summer was worse.
His Ballon d’Or moment — receiving the trophy from the Brazilian Ronaldo and delivering an emotional acceptance speech in which his voice "wobbled as he paid tribute to his mother, Kim, who had tears in her eyes, and his father, Pat" — came after a career that included difficult loans at Norwich and Leicester and early doubt about how far he might go. Harry Redknapp, who gave Kane his Spurs debut in 2011, recalled a behind-closed-doors game at Spurs’ training ground when Arsenal came to watch Birmingham’s Scott Dann: "I got a call from Pat Rice [the Arsenal assistant manager] and Steve Rowley [the chief scout] and I said: ‘Of course, no problem, come over,'" Redknapp said. "Arsenal were signing Scott Dann, they just wanted to check his fitness. So they came to watch and I think Harry scored four goals that day and Arsenal didn’t sign Scott Dann. Harry absolutely ran amok that day." He added: "We always felt Harry was going to be a player. No one could come here now and say we knew he was going to be England’s all-time record caps holder, record scorer and Ballon d’Or winner. Anyone who says that is talking rubbish. But we did think there was a player there. How good he would be, no one was ever sure."
It will be an emotional occasion for him against Croatia and his journey will flash before him.