Harry Kane has already written his name into the record books - and his next chapter may never be beaten.
Kane, 29, could have another THREE major tournaments in an England career which has already confirmed his status as one of the all-time greats. Three Lions captain Kane became England’s greatest goalscorer after overtaking Wayne Rooney’s record as he made it 54 goals in 81 caps.
Kane reached the landmark in 39 fewer games than it took Rooney and the Tottenham striker has broken down barriers and landmarks almost with every goal. And the remarkable part is that despite his record-breaking career, Kane is still arguably underappreciated as a world class striker.
Kane is not just a goal scorer but he is captain and leader, a clever and intelligent player on the pitch who links play, sprays passes and is versatile enough to play in different systems. He has overcome injury, setbacks like missing the penalty in the World Cup quarter-final with France and displayed unshakeable mental strength to carve out an extraordinary career.
Kane rarely gets talked about in Ballon d’Or terms but, when it comes to goals, his prolific record stands up against the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema. He overtook Jimmy Greaves’ record as Tottenham’s leading scorer this season, he thrives on records and writing history.
That drive will also push him to setting new barriers on his England record as he could still be playing and scoring in the 2028 Euros when he would be 35.
That would give him more than five years’ worth of goals and appearances which could easily push him towards 80 goals. It would be impossible to imagine any player currently on the scene or anyone coming through could get remotely close.
Rooney is the most capped outfield player with 120, Peter Shilton has 125 and those records are within grasp of a player who made his debut in a 4-0 win over Lithuania in March 2015.
Kane took just 79 seconds to score on his international debut - and has been scoring ever since. He has won a Golden Boot at a World Cup and only Jimmy Greaves (six) has scored more than his five hat tricks for England.
Kane admitted after his record breaking goal against Italy that England is his “greatest feeling” and scoring more goals is his only target.
“I don't like to look too far ahead because a lot can happen in football,” said Kane. “But I’m 29, I’m feeling fit and I’m feeling strong. I’m feeling probably the best I’ve felt in my career so far.
“So I hope I have many more years. Playing for England is probably my greatest feeling in football and I want to do it for as long as possible.
“As a striker I want to score in every game. But now it’s time to get ready for Sunday because we have to make sure we win that now and make sure it’s a really good camp. Hopefully many more goals.”
It is easy to forget that it was a very public debate as to who should be captain when Gareth Southgate gave Kane the armband. It was Kane up against Jordan Henderson.
Southgate’s faith in Kane has been rewarded with goals and the bond between manager and captain is obvious. There was an emotional video on social media of Southgate making a speech to Kane in the dressing room. Kane still wants to achieve more with England and Southgate with a trophy now the burning ambition to match his personal accolades.
“We haven’t quite achieved what we want to,” said Kane. “My England journey started with Roy [Hodgson], but Gareth has been a huge part of it since 2018. And I think we have grown as a team. After the disappointment of the World Cup, the win in Italy shows the type of team we want to be.”
