Georges-Kevin Nkoudou says advice from England captain Harry Kane has helped him unlock the best goalscoring form of his career.

The Cameroon winger has struck 23 times since joining Saudi Pro League side Damac in August 2023, including 15 goals last season.

Nkoudou was at Tottenham Hotspur alongside Kane between 2016 and 2019, and often thinks about what the Bayern Munich striker told him during their time together in north London.

“I learn a lot from watching Harry because, as a goalscorer, I have never seen anyone like him,” the 29-year-old told BBC Sport Africa.

“I know I can get myself in good positions. [But] some goals I have scored with Damac are because I think about Kane.

“He is such a clever guy in front of goal.”

Nkoudou has certainly improved his strike rate since his move to the Middle East, given his previous best goal return in a single season had been eight efforts for Turkish club Besiktas.

“He (Kane) always told me ‘You need to be calm’,” Nkoudou added.

“I’m a winger, so I wasn’t used to being in front of goal. Now I’m more calm, more confident, because I remember this advice.”

Nkoudou moved to Spurs aged 21, but things did not work out how he hoped during his three years with the Premier League club.

He made just 27 appearances in all competitions and spent time on loan at Burnley and Monaco, but insists he has no regrets about his move from Marseille to London.

“When I got the chance to go to England, I didn’t even hesitate as this is what I had always wanted,” Nkoudou recalled.

“Of course, I was so young, but I trusted myself and I knew my quality. When you go to such a big team and you’re young, you go there first of all to learn – because they have so many great players.”

Nkoudou says he “grew up as a man” and boosted his knowledge of the game during what was a “tough” stint in London under then-Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

“I needed to adapt to a new country – its culture and language,” he explained.

“I used to go to the gym all the time [at Tottenham]. In France it was more technical with the ball. I made myself stronger and I improved from training with the players.

“It is the part of my life when I learned a lot about football, even if I didn’t play a lot.

“I always tried to do my best and when I left I texted Pochettino to say thank you.”

It was while at Besiktas, in 2022, that Nkoudou made his international debut for Cameroon.

Having been born in Versailles and featured up to Under-21 level for France, Nkoudou initially had designs on representing the two-time Fifa World Cup winners at senior level.

But when then-Indomitable Lions coach Rigobert Song came calling, Nkoudou opted to play for his mother’s homeland.

“Since I was young my family wanted me to play for Cameroon, but I grew up French,” he explained.

“However, when I spoke to my family and friends, I knew it was going to be a big honour for me. It was an easy decision.”

His national team highlight, so far, has been appearing at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he made two substitute appearances.

“Honestly, nothing is like the World Cup,” he said.

“As an African team it is a little bit different because you’re not the favourite but you need to give everything for your shirt and for your country.”

Nkoudou generally found international minutes difficult to come by under Song, although he did feature in all four matches at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

It was a similar story after Belgian Marc Brys took charge last April.

However, in his most recent outing – an Afcon 2025 qualifier against Zimbabwe in November – Nkoudou was man of the match, scoring one goal and setting up the other in a 2-1 win.

“I’m a quieter guy in the dressing room and don’t always show myself so much, but when a new coach comes, at the beginning you need to prove yourself,” he said.

“I know what I can do and I think football never lies. If you keep working then opportunities come.

“I like competition and I like a challenge. I know when I play I can do great things for a team.”

Nkoudou now hopes to earn a place in Cameroon’s starting XI before the Afcon 2025 finals begin in December.

He believes the five-time continental champions should be considered among the favourites for the tournament in Morocco, and has praised Brys’ impact.

“We have almost the same players but the quality now on the pitch is higher and you can see the results,” Nkoudou reflected.

“Everyone knows better what they need to do and what the coach wants from us.

“I think really the next Afcon can be a great opportunity for Cameroon to get back the crown.”