Harry Kane has revealed that his remarkable goal-scoring feats with Tottenham Hotspur and England over recent months can be traced back to his kitchen.

The 24-year-old striker, who captains England in their World Cup qualifier against Slovenia on Thursday, has scored goals at a prolific rate since his breakthrough season with Spurs in 2014-15.

But his scoring has hit new heights this year – 11 goals in five games for club and country at the tail-end of last season, 13 in eight last month – and he partly credits his decision to hire a personal chef.

"Over the last year or so, I've changed a lot off the pitch with the nutrition side of it," Kane told reporters after training with England at Spurs' base in Enfield, north London on Wednesday.

"It kind of clicked in my head that a football career is so short. It goes so quickly. You've just got to make every day count. So I've got a chef at home to eat the right food, which is big for 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 away from football as well.

"That's recovery, sleep, eating the right food. That will definitely help me going into a tournament year and hopefully keep me fresh all year round."

Kane was introduced to his chef, who he did not name, by an acquaintance last December.