According to ESPN, Harry Kane has made significant history for England and appears intent on continuing his international career. After the match against Czechia at Wembley he became England’s joint record appearance holder, matching Peter Shilton’s total of 125 caps.
Kane’s first senior England appearance came in March 2015 at age 21. He scored within 79 seconds of coming off the bench against Lithuania, a moment then-manager Roy Hodgson described as a ‘fairytale,’ according to ESPN.
ESPN notes Kane has appeared in six major tournaments for the Three Lions, reaching two finals and two semifinals. His first goal at a major tournament arrived at the 2018 World Cup against Tunisia, 11 minutes into England’s opening game; he scored twice in that match, including a stoppage-time winner, and finished the tournament with six goals to claim the Golden Boot as England advanced to the semifinals.
Kane was named England captain for the first time in 2018 and led the team to the World Cup semifinals in Russia. ESPN reports he has captained England in every major tournament since and remains skipper, having led the team to the delayed Euro 2020 final, the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals, the Euro 2024 final and the 2026 World Cup semifinal. He has 88 starts as captain, two fewer than the joint record held by Billy Wright and Bobby Moore; three more starts would set a new mark.
Before Kane, Wayne Rooney was England’s top scorer with 53 goals in 120 appearances. Kane equalled Rooney with a penalty in the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal against France and, after missing a second spot kick in that match, moved past the mark with a March 2023 penalty against Italy to reach 54, according to ESPN. He has since extended his record to 91 goals in 125 appearances for England.
