Harry Kane might not have broken Wayne Rooney’s England record in Qatar, but history can still be made in Naples on Thursday night.
The Tottenham Hotspur talisman scored just twice at the 2022 World Cup; Gareth Southgate’s side bowing out at the quarter-final stage against France. That was enough, however, for Kane to draw level with Manchester United legend Rooney on 53 England goals.
Remarkably, it took Kane just 75 games to hit a half-century in England colours; one of only two players ever to achieve the feet. Rooney, in contrast, earned 107 caps before he broke the 50-goal barrier with a penalty against Switzerland back in 2015.
Both players, meanwhile, are currently level on 53. But should he find the net against Italy tonight, England taking on their old adversaries in European qualifying on Thursday, Kane will scribe his name with indelible ink into the history books.
Harry Kane on the verge of becoming England’s record goalscorer
“I’m fully expecting Harry Kane to get that record,” a gracious Rooney told talkSPORT in 2021. “He’s a fantastic player and goalscorer. Obviously he’s got time on his side, and I’d be the first to congratulate him.”
Alongside Kane and Rooney, Michael Owen and Frank Lampard are the only ‘modern era’ footballers to make it into England’s top ten. Lampard, one of the game’s best goalscoring midfielders, managed 29 for his country. Owen hit 40 of his own, including that iconic solo effort against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.
Sir Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves, meanwhile, were both part of Sir Alf Ramsay’s World Cup-winning squad in 1966. To date, that is the only time England have ever got their mitts on arguably football’s most coveted prize.
Who are England’s top ten record goalscorers?
1) Wayne Rooney and Harry Kane – 53 goals
2) Sir Bobby Charlton – 49 goals
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3) Gary Lineker – 48 goals
4) Jimmy Greaves – 44 goals
5) Michael Owen – 40 goals
6) Nat Lofthouse, Alan Shearer, and Sir Tom Finney – 30 goals
7) Frank Lampard – 29 goals
8) Steve Bloomer and Vivian Woodword – 28 goals
9) David Platt – 27 goals
10) Bryan Robson – 26 goals
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