Kane poised to equal Peter Shilton’s 125 England caps as record scorer
On 5 October 2026, England captain Harry Kane could equal Peter Shilton's England record of 125 caps if he features against the Czech Republic at Wembley in the UEFA Nations League; Kane already stands as his country's record goalscorer with 89 goals in 124 full international appearances.
Kane opened his England account 79 seconds into his debut as a substitute in the 4-0 win against Lithuania at Wembley in March 2015 and has been England’s main attacking figure since. Now 33, he is England’s top scorer in major tournaments with 21 goals in 36 appearances across six tournaments, ahead of Gary Lineker’s 10 goals in 18. He replaced Wayne Rooney for his England debut in March 2015; Rooney remains second on the all-time scorers list with 53 goals in 120 games.
Kane sits 36 goals clear of Rooney and has been described in the piece as England men’s most important and influential player of the modern era; the only blemish noted on his international record is failing to add to the sole men’s World Cup won in 1966. The article frames his international career as one of sustained goalscoring excellence and longevity despite the absence of a major tournament victory.
The conversation about England’s greatest inevitably moves to the 1966 team led by Bobby Moore. Moore is described as the only England captain to lift the World Cup, leading his team to triumph at Wembley in July 1966 as West Germany were beaten 4-2; he was 25 at the time and had won the FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup with West Ham United before the World Cup, and he won 108 caps between May 1962 and November 1973.
Sir Bobby Charlton’s place in that discussion is also outlined: he survived the Munich Air Disaster with Manchester United in 1958, won the World Cup with England and two years later captained Manchester United when they became the first English team to win the European Cup, scoring twice as Benfica were beaten 4-1 at Wembley; he remains third on England’s list of scorers with 49 goals in 106 games. The piece also notes Sir Geoff Hurst’s World Cup final hat-trick and references more recent crowd favourites such as Wayne Rooney and David Beckham.
Former England midfielder Danny Murphy gave a measured view of how eras shape the debate, saying: "Bobby Moore will always be in people's conversation. Sir Bobby Charlton also, because of what they did and the memories they created. "As you move forward, for me as a kid Gazza [Paul Gascoigne] burst on the scene and became a hero, especially as a creative midfield player myself. "I think Rooney was arguably the most all-round footballer we have ever had, the most talented I've seen – but no-one can argue with Harry Kane's quality, numbers and longevity. It is the record of an England great." He added: "There is one thing there is no debate about. Harry Kane is England's greatest goal scorer. "Is he England's greatest player? This is all about opinions and eras, but his record and longevity alone informs you that he is an England great. He is in that elite group."
Paul Robinson told BBC Sport: "Harry Kane is an England great. There is no argument. He will always be part of that conversation now. "I think we are guilty in the modern era of underestimating what we've got in front of us. We are quite happy to look through rose-tinted spectacles at what we had in the past. "We will talk about Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton, but football now is a completely different game. The life of a footballer is completely different and it's almost like they are playing a different game. "What Bobby Moore and Sir Bobby Charlton achieved, nobody in an England shirt has done since. You respect what they did in the era, and the status and legacy that comes with winning the World Cup and everything else they did, but we must also say it is a different game now." The article records Kane's recent form: his double in Saturday's 7-0 win in Croatia took his tally to 11 goals in 12 England games in the calendar year; he has scored in six consecutive England away games, with only Sir Tom Finney having a longer run of seven between September 1946 and May 1948. Last season Kane scored 73 goals in 65 games for England and Bayern Munich; his England career includes five hat-tricks, 110 starts and a 66% win rate.
The piece acknowledges the counterargument around his lack of a major international trophy, noting Kane has come close—losing two World Cup semi-finals and two European Championship finals—and that "The next Euros in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2028 could be his last chance to change that unwanted record." Murphy addressed Kane’s performances in decisive matches, saying: "The only thing really missing from him is the icing on the cake, namely getting over the line in a major tournament, which is looking less likely for him as the years go by. "I suppose that will always be one criticism of him, as well as many England players and generations. Nobody has managed to get them over the line since 1966, and the responsibility usually does fall on the strikers or the captain. "He didn't score in the World Cup semi-final against Croatia 2018 or in the Euros final against Italy at Wembley. He missed a penalty against France in the World Cup quarter-final in 2022, then obviously he didn't score in the Euro 2024 final against Spain or the World Cup semi-final against Argentina. "In the big moments, it didn't happen for him. "I don't adhere to that observation at all because it's not just him. Anyone can miss a penalty. The reality is the team itself, the tactics, all those things factor into why England haven't got over the line."
As Kane stands on the brink of equalling the England caps record, the immediate next opportunity is the UEFA Nations League meeting with the Czech Republic at Wembley, where a place in the matchday squad would take him level with Peter Shilton on 125 appearances; the article concludes that he still has time and the enduring quality to further his case as an all-time England great.
