Harry Kane is set to make his 126th appearance for England in a UEFA Nations League match against Croatia at Wembley Stadium and be honoured in a pre-match presentation, with his recent Ballon d'Or win also officially recognised in front of home supporters.
Kane’s 126th cap to break England men’s record
Harry Kane is set to make his 126th appearance for England against Croatia at Wembley Stadium in a UEFA Nations League fixture on Thursday evening. Kane’s 126th appearance will be a record-breaking milestone for the England men’s national team.
Peter Shilton has held the England men’s national team appearance record since 1989 with 125 caps across a 20-year career. Kane’s milestone 126th England appearance will see him surpass Shilton’s men’s national team record of 125 caps.
Harry Kane said that reaching his current number of caps for England is a testament to dedication, hard work behind the scenes, and year-on-year consistency at the highest level, stating: "To reach the number of caps I have is a testament to the things I spoke about in my speech, all the stuff behind the scenes, the dedication and for sure it is one of the biggest milestones of my career."
He added: "Definitely up there with the biggest, I think it showcases consistency at the highest level and I think any great player wants to be able to perform year on year."
Wembley presentation and Shilton’s tribute
A special pre-match presentation is planned at Wembley Stadium to mark Harry Kane’s record-breaking 126th England appearance. Peter Shilton is planned to lead the tribute at Wembley Stadium in the pre-match presentation to honour Kane’s record-breaking achievement and to formally hand over the baton.
Ballon d'Or triumph to be recognised at home
Harry Kane’s recent triumph in winning the Ballon d'Or will be officially recognised in front of the home supporters at Wembley Stadium. Kane said the physical Ballon d'Or trophy is still in Munich, explaining: "It's still in Munich but hoping it will be there tomorrow."
He said: "I think everyone is extremely proud that I won it." Kane added: "For me personally, it's great to see the boys and people that helped me win it."
Kane said: "It's been amazing for Bayern Munich, England, for English fans." He continued: "It's been incredible, just grateful for all of the support."
Tuchel on England’s culture and Kane’s future targets
GOAL reported that England manager Thomas Tuchel praised a selfless culture in the England team fostered by senior leaders such as Harry Kane, noting that veteran players welcome and mentor younger call-ups.
Harry Kane said: "I don't like to put limits on anything." He explained that in the last England camp they spoke about reaching 100 goals for England, saying: "We spoke in the last camp about the 100 goals for England, I think that's another incredible milestone to try and reach as soon as possible."
Kane said he likes to take things such as caps as they come, stating: "Regarding caps, I just like to take these things as they come." He added: "We've done extremely well in tournaments, reaching the latter stages so caps are there to be had."
He said: "Right now, I'm feeling really, really good so hopefully many more years to see what else I can achieve."
