Terry Butcher has praised Harry Kane as “one of the greatest” after the England captain became the men’s all-time appearance record holder at Wembley on Thursday night.
Kane lifted his Ballon d’Or trophy to the crowd before kick-off and scored his 92nd international goal to secure a narrow England victory over Croatia.
Record-breaking night for Kane
The Bayern Munich forward is now both England’s men’s all-time record goalscorer and appearance holder. Butcher told Standard Sport: “It’s amazing. He’s the best player up there. He’s one of the best professionals that we’ve ever seen, one of the greatest players. We’re very lucky to have him.”
Butcher, who captained England seven times in 77 international appearances, reflected on the honour of representing his country. He was part of the England side under Sir Bobby Robson that reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost on penalties to West Germany.
Butcher on England pride
“Look, I had a great career with England ... it wasn’t about the caps, the number that you get, it’s all about what you do and how you put everything into it,” Butcher said.
“And the players of my generation, and even the players of today, you can see their attitude and their intent to do well for the country. Because there’s a big responsibility, it really is. It’s a heavy weight to bear, but it’s a weight that you prepare to take on, and it’s a weight that you know you can lift as well and lift the whole country, not just the team.”
