Luka Modric pays glowing tribute to 'humble' record-breaker Harry Kane as England captain surpasses Peter Shilton
Luka Modric has led the tributes to Harry Kane after the England captain officially became his country's most-capped men’s player of all time. The Bayern Munich striker reached the historic milestone of 126 caps during Thursday’s victory over Croatia, surpassing the long-standing record held by legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
Historic Wembley night for Kane
Kane secured his 126th cap during a 2-1 triumph against Croatia at Wembley on Thursday. The 33-year-old marked the momentous occasion by converting the match-winning penalty to seal the victory for the hosts.
In doing so, the forward eclipsed Shilton's tally of 125 appearances, a benchmark that had stood for 36 years.
To commemorate the achievement, the legendary goalkeeper personally presented Kane with a gold crest. The Croatian national team also acknowledged the milestone, handing the forward a special gift to mark the occasion.
Modric returns the praise
The England skipper praised his former Tottenham colleague Modric as an "inspiration", and the Croatian playmaker returned the sentiment following the final whistle.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Modric said: "Really impressive and I'm happy for him. He deserved it, he's always very humble guy and always working hard and he deserved that.
"Everything that is happening to him and like I said, really happy for him and it must be very emotional for him too. Because I remember when I got most capped player for your country, it's something special. And [to have won] the Ballon d'Or and everything, it must be very emotional for him."
The ultimate role model
Croatian boss Slaven Bilic also lauded the striker's elite mindset, contrasting his professionalism with the attitude of younger talents in the modern era.
"He's unbelievable, we have this kind of player in a different position and everything but very similar with the mentality which nowadays as very hard to find those kind of things," Bilic told ITV. "You know those new modern players, they are like flashy and everything. Harry and Luka together are the best example for every kid that is starting or dreaming about becoming a professional footballer.
"It's great for Harry, of course, it's great for football because he's an absolute role model like I said."
Targeting the double century
With Shilton's long-standing record now firmly in the rear-view mirror, attention naturally turns to how far Kane can stretch his new milestone as he continues to lead the national side.
When questioned on whether the 33-year-old could realistically reach 200 appearances for the Three Lions, Bilic offered a glowing endorsement of the forward's exceptional longevity, insisting: "He's aging like wine."
