By Nick Mulvenney
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur goal machine Harry Kane is enjoying his breakthrough season so much that he doesn't want it to end.
Kane was a relative unknown before his 21 goals helped propel Spurs to fifth in Premier League in the recently concluded campaign.
And while many of his team mates might see the trip to Australia for Saturday's friendly against Sydney FC as a post-season jolly, for Kane it is a chance to stay sharp for next month's European under-21 championship.
"I love football, I love playing the game and obviously this season's gone very well, I just want to keep playing," the 21-year-old told a news conference on Thursday.
"Playing these games is a good chance to keep the fitness high and keep myself ready for the tournament. I'm really looking forward to it.
"I think we've got a great chance of winning it, that'd be great, and then once that's over, I'll have a little break and then focus on next season and trying to maintain my form."
Kane, who has been given star billing for Saturday's match at the Olympic Stadium, said the full implication of what he has achieved over the last nine months had not sunk in yet.
"I probably be sitting on the beach somewhere and it will all hit me," he said.
"It's been amazing, I've enjoyed every moment and hopefully it's a start and there's many years to come."
After scoring 31 goals in all competitions for Spurs, Kane kept up his prolific form with a brace in the 2-1 win over a Malaysian XI in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
That came as no surprise to Spurs ambassador Osvaldo Ardiles, who said Kane would not be concerned about playing too much football given the form he was in.
"He's doing so, so well, he wants play as much as possible," the Argentine World Cup winner told Reuters.
"He's full, full of confidence, he knows that when he comes onto the pitch, he's going to score a goal."
That Kane still looked so sharp after 52 Spurs matches is testament to the emphasis manager Mauricio Pochettino puts on fitness, a gruelling regime former Southampton striker Dani Osvaldo said made players "suffer like a dog".
"He works us hard, maybe dog's a bit strong," Kane laughed. "He's a great coach. We've learned the way he works and it's been tough but it's been a great season. We've all enjoyed it."
"I think it's helped us, we've scored a lot of late goals and that's proved our fitness."