I’m just hitting my peak – Lewandowski sends out World Cup warning

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski believes that he is entering the golden age of his career as he prepares for a tilt at the World Cup with Poland.

The attacker celebrated his 30th birthday in August but believes that will only be a milestone that will see him improve his game.

Given that he has scored 89 Bundesliga goals in his last three seasons, that is quite some statement from a man who has caught the eye of Chelsea.

“I feel I’m just starting the best period for a striker,” he told the Guardian. “I’m mature and have a lot of experience. If I’m healthy, I will play in Europe as long as possible – and then move on. We will see.

“I have a plan to play at the top level at least until I’m 35.”

The secret to Lewandowski’s blueprint is nothing more than hard work on the training ground, where he is famous for his industry.

“You do it because you have to repeat everything time and time again,” he said. “Then I add things. At the moment I am trying to improve my long-distance shooting with my left foot. 

“I have to reach a point with that where my head doesn’t have to think – I just react – and that helps me to make quick decisions. It’s called the automatics. To do something because you just know how to do it. There is no wasting time on thinking. 

“In football you don’t learn everything at the same time. You have to work on yourself all the time.”

Meanwhile, he refused to set his ambitions for Russia 2018 too high and would not commit to matching his country’s vintage of 1974, who reached the semi-finals.

“I want to have my own good memories,” he asserted. “But to reaped what they did would be a dream come true and I want to rewrite history.

“It has cost me a lot to be where I am and I didn’t get anything for free. I didn’t do too much talking either, I prefer to act. Maybe, as a team, we can do something special in Russia.”

Poland begin their campaign on Monday with a match against Senegal before fixtures against Colombia and Japan.