Harry Kane's England milestones as Three Lions captain closes in on historic record

Harry Kane is poised to make yet more England history on Tuesday night: assuming he plays in the Nations League clash against Czechia at Wembley, he'll equal Peter Shilton's 36-year-old record of 125 caps.

It’s just the latest milestone in an international career that’s been chock-full of them for the Three Lions captain…

The debut (and first goal)

Kane could have played for the Republic of Ireland through his Galway-born father, but in 2014 he confirmed his desire to represent England – having featured from U17 up to U21 level.

Firmly established in the Tottenham first team and with 16 Premier League goals to his name that season, Kane earned his maiden England senior call-up in March 2015, when Roy Hodgson included him in the squad for a Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania and friendly against Italy.

The then 21-year-old Kane was handed his debut in the first of those games – and he could hardly have dreamed of a better introduction, heading in Raheem Sterling’s cross just 79 seconds after coming off the bench to cap a 4-0 England win at Wembley.

He made his first start three days later, playing the full 90 minutes as the Three Lions drew 1-1 with Italy in Turin.

The tournament debut

By Euro 2016, Kane was one of the first names on the England team sheet, and he made his major tournament bow in the Three Lions’ 1-1 group-stage draw with Russia in Marseille.

Controversially chosen by Hodgson to take corners, Kane failed to score at those finals – which ended with the infamous 2-1 defeat to Iceland – but that milestone wasn’t too far away…

The captaincy (and first World Cup)

Having worn the armband for the first time in the previous summer’s 2-2 qualifying draw with Scotland at Hampden Park – where he scored a stoppage-time equaliser – Kane went into the 2018 World Cup in Russia as captain of Gareth Southgate’s England.

And he wasted no time in opening his account on football’s biggest stage, bagging a brace as England began their campaign with a 2-1 win over Tunisia in Volgograd.

It got even better in England’s second group game: Kane hit his first international hat-trick in the 6-1 thrashing of Panama, joining Geoff Hurst and Gary Lineker as the only other Three Lions players with a World Cup hat-trick to their name.

He’s scored five hat-tricks for England in all, putting him one away from Jimmy Greaves’ all-time record.

Kane then scored from the spot during the match and in the shootout as England dramatically beat Colombia in the last 16, taking him to six goals for the tournament.

He didn’t find the net again after that as England’s campaign ended in semi-final heartbreak at the hands of Croatia, but he did join Lineker as one of only two Three Lions players to claim the World Cup Golden Boot.

The record-equalling goal

It soon became clear that it was a matter of when and not if Kane would become England’s all-time leading scorer – and he equalled Wayne Rooney’s record of 53 goals with a penalty against France in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup.

He surpassed Rooney the following March, notching his 54^th England goal from the spot in a 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifying victory over reigning European champions Italy.

And he was never going to stop there: over the last two-and-a-half years, he’s moved 36 goals clear of Rooney, currently sitting on 89.

Only three players have ever scored 100 or more international goals – and Kane is bound to join that exclusive club in the not-too-distant future.

The 100^th cap

Kane brought up a century of England caps in a 2-0 Nations League win over Finland at Wembley in September 2024 – in which, naturally, he scored both goals.

Just over two years later, he’s one appearance away from equalling Shilton’s 125-cap record that’s stood since 1990.

The record-equalling cap

Kane has already broken one England appearance record, becoming the Three Lions’ joint most-capped outfield player by winning his 120^th cap in this summer’s World Cup quarter-final triumph over Norway, equalling Wayne Rooney. He earned cap number 121 in the semi-final against Argentina.

Kane’s England career in numbers