Harry Kane will equal Peter Shilton's record of 125 England caps when he captains the side against Czech Republic at Wembley on Tuesday night. The England captain has scored 89 goals for his country and is 11 goals short of a century.
Tuchel and Barry praise Kane's qualities
England boss Thomas Tuchel revealed he used to pretend to be Shilton in his back garden as a child. He said the next generation now dream of being Kane because of the Bayern Munich striker's incredible "desire and determination."
England assistant Anthony Barry believes Kane is the best striker of a ball he has ever worked with, including Cristiano Ronaldo, whom he coached with Portugal. Barry said: "He's the best ball striker I have ever worked with, all the great finishers I have ever worked with. Cristiano and all those players."
Kane's record-breaking career
Kane, 33, had a record-breaking 73-goal season for club and country last year. Tuchel described him as a "role model" both on and off the pitch. Tuchel said: "When I was a young boy, I was Peter Shilton in goal. I didn't even know exactly why I was. I had a favour for English goalkeepers."
Tuchel added: "All these number nines, all number nines in the world, no matter in which league or news football, they're like built a little bit different. And they also, they not only do it that their team wins, they do it, but they also do it for themselves. They do it for the records."
Barry also believes Kane has many years ahead of him, noting that Ronaldo has carried on into his 40s. Barry said: "All the controllables, he takes care of. Every minute of the day he's a footballer whether its food or recovery or preparation. It's all on a maximum professional level which will give him the best chance of longevity."
Kane's landmark caps and stats
Kane made his first cap against Lithuania at Wembley on March 27, 2015, scoring 79 seconds into his debut. His 50th cap came against Belgium on November 15, 2020. His 100th cap was against Finland on September 10, 2024, where he became the first England player to score twice on that milestone.
Kane surpassed Wayne Rooney's goals record on March 23, 2023, against Italy in Naples. His 124 games have come while playing for Tottenham Hotspur (84) and Bayern Munich (40). He has 89 goals, 19 assists, faced 54 nations, played 9,688 minutes, and captained England 96 times. He also holds the record of 36 caps at major tournaments.
