Harry Kane made his 125th England appearance, drawing level with Peter Shilton’s men’s-team record. He scored twice and helped create a third goal in the 3-0 win over Czechia.
The milestone came in an October 6 Nations League match at Wembley. Kane matched Shilton, whose record had stood for 36 years. The Football Association says the captain scored his 90th and 91st international goals and forced defender Vladimir Coufal to put the ball into his own net. The official record confirms this was Kane’s 125th England appearance.
Sky Sports notes that Kane reached the mark later than many stars of his generation: he made his England debut at 21, while Jude Bellingham was 17 and Bukayo Saka and Rio Ferdinand were 19. Kane worked his way up through English football’s leagues and became central to the national side over 11 years. His consistency is also reflected in his availability: over the past decade he missed only one of England’s 101 competitive matches, a 2024 Nations League game against Greece.
Kane has said he has sometimes played through pain but has been particularly consistent and available over the past six years. Sky Sports notes that he may not have been fully fit during Euro 2024. The article compares this with Wayne Rooney’s career, which was more frequently interrupted by injuries, while recognizing that players from different eras faced different circumstances.
Kane said the record would not make him ease off; he wants to keep improving. His next major individual target is 100 England goals; he currently has 91. He hopes to play at Euro 2028 and has not ruled out another World Cup. But Kane said a team trophy would matter more than personal milestones: he would trade his appearances and goals to win something with England. The men’s team last won a major international title at the 1966 World Cup.