LONDON: England captain Harry Kane will complete his glorious year when he has the opportunity to break the record for most appearances with The Three Lions squad in the Nations League match against Croatia this Friday.
The Bayern Munich striker will make his 126th appearance when he leads the team to play at Wembley, surpassing the record of 125 appearances held by former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, which has stood since 1990.
The achievement was another special moment for Kane after he became the first English player in 25 years to win the Ballon d’Or award last October.
Kane’s pride in winning the prestigious award was clearly evident in his emotional speech during the awards ceremony in London.
The new record is also a testament to the physical endurance and consistency of the 33-year-old player who continues to be a mainstay for England.
Kane is currently England’s all-time top scorer with 91 goals, as well as holding Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time scoring record with 280 goals.
Since leaving the club that raised him to join Bayern in 2023, Kane has continued to improve his level of play.
He has scored 156 goals with the German club and finally won the first major trophy of his career with the Bundesliga championship in 2025 and 2026.
Apart from his sharpness in front of goal, Kane also showed maturity as a leader when he reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with England manager Thomas Tuchel’s tactical approach during the defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final last July.
Tuchel employed a more defensive approach to defend the 1-0 lead, but Argentina seized their chances to score two late goals, denying Kane his first appearance in a World Cup final.
Kane is then said to have led discussions with his teammates and Tuchel to discuss the tactical approach ahead of the international break in September.
Kane’s England teammate and Bayer Leverkusen defender Jarell Quansah admitted he has great respect for the striker, not to mention having faced him in the Bundesliga.
Kane became the first Bundesliga player to win the Ballon d’Or since Matthias Sammer in 1996.
“The whole Bundesliga is actually very happy because it’s been a long time since there was a winner in this league. They received his arrival very well and everyone knows the quality he has.
“He’s a scary player to play against. Nobody wants to play against him. Almost every week he scores a goal and everyone knows what he’s capable of.
“I think he’s also received a good reception from fans of some other clubs, and that’s something that’s pretty good,” Quansah told the BBC.
Since scoring just 79 seconds after making his debut as a substitute against Lithuania in 2015, Kane has continued to be a key player for England.
He now dreams of becoming the first England men’s captain to lift an international trophy since Bobby Moore led the team to victory in the 1966 World Cup.
However, Kane has twice experienced disappointment when England lost in the finals of the 2021 and 2024 European Championships.
However, Quansah believes Kane’s contribution is not only limited to goals and achievements on the field, but also through his professional attitude and leadership within the squad.
“He is a true professional and has done everything. Most importantly is the high standards he sets off the field.
“He’s always the first one out for meetings and waits until the whole squad is together. He won’t let his teammates do things on their own.
“Overall, he’s really a great captain,” he said.