Harry Kane at 125 Caps: How England’s Captain Keeps Breaking Records

On Tuesday night, Harry Kane became only the second England player to reach 125 appearances in an international career, following in the footsteps of Peter Shilton. The Tottenham-Bayern star scored twice and provided the assist for Czechia's first goal as England beat their opponents 3-0 at Wembley. Kane has become central to all that England do in attack ever since he became the nation's number one centre-forward and has 91 goals for his national side.

"It was a fantastic night for me as well as for the team," said Kane after the match. "It was an enormous honour to win 125 caps." He later described the achievement as "something I could never have imagined as a kid." It was another sign of how far Kane has progressed during his 10-plus years as a scorer for the national side.

The England star's game has never been based on pace. Instead, he creates space using his movement and vision and is able to play anywhere around the pitch. He can drop back to midfield, receive the ball under pressure and then play the pass or take control of the situation and advance towards the opponents' penalty area.

In the game against Czechia, he drifted wide to the right in the 27th minute to supply the pass that Vladimir Coufal put past his own goalkeeper. Then he found the spot in the penalty box and put the ball into the net after Morgan Rogers' square pass before the half-time whistle. In the second half, he created some space at the far post and headed Lewis Hall's corner kick in the net. Three different actions by Kane from three different angles to create chances.This consistency has defined Kane's England career. Different managers came and went, the lineup and playing style were altered, and yet Kane managed to remain consistent throughout the period. Working with Gareth Southgate, Kane played crucial roles in helping England win two European Championship final matches and lose a World Cup semi-final game, scoring and creating opportunities for others even when England had to play deeper.

Now playing under Thomas Tuchel, he remains consistent, maintaining his high numbers in a more direct attacking scheme. "You will not find another Harry Kane," says Tuchel. "He is a complete package."

Jude Bellingham has been even more laconic after the game against Czechia, describing Kane as "the best English player to wear this shirt."

Very few strikers manage to keep this kind of form in their thirties. Kane has kept scoring for England at the rate of one goal every 90 minutes in 125 appearances for the national team. Wayne Rooney finished with 53 goals, whereas Sir Bobby Charlton scored 49 goals. Kane is now 38 goals above Rooney and keeps increasing his tally. This form had also kept him in the Ballon d'Or and Gerd Müller discussion.

In the big games, Kane always manages to deliver what England need. If they require an attacking player to guide their attacks, Kane provides them with this option. When there is no space, he drops deep and helps create opportunities for his teammates. And whenever the opportunity arises, he scores. It is this consistency that makes him the player on whom England can rely on to progress their attack.

At 33, Kane still shows no signs of slowing down. His ability to drift into midfield, ability to finish with both feet and his head, and leadership skills are intact. England have not yet won any major tournament with him as their captain, but the individual achievements of Kane are already among the best England have had. He will try to get to 100 international goals, and will be adding to those stats with his appearance in the next international meeting.