Terry Butcher interview: Harry Kane is one of the greats, he has lifted the whole country

Terry Butcher has hailed Harry Kane as “one of the greatest” as the England captain broke the men’s all-time appearance record at Wembley on Thursday night.

On a momentous night for Kane, who lifted his Ballon d’Or trophy to the Wembley crowd before kick-off, and made sure he had the final say, notching his 92nd international goal to secure a slender England win over Croatia.

The Bayern Munich forward is now both England’s men’s all-time record goalscorer and appearance holder, and Butcher believes the country is “very lucky” to call him one of their own.

“It’s amazing,” Butcher told Standard Sport.

“He’s the best player up there. He’s one of the best professionals that we’ve ever seen, one of the greatest players. We’re very lucky to have him.”

Butcher knows a thing or two about what it means to represent England, having captained his country seven times across terr77 international appearances.

It’s a heavy weight to bear, but a weight that you prepare to take on, and know you can lift

Terry Butcher on the England captaincy

The defender was also an integral part of the England side under Sir Bobby Robson that reached the 1990 World Cup semi-finals, where they lost on penalties to West Germany.

Reflecting on his career, Butcher admits that while he may not have won as many caps as Kane, or previous record-holder and former team-mate Peter Shilton, it always remained an honour to represent England.

“Look, I had a great career with England ... it wasn’t about the caps, the number that you get, it’s all about what you do and how you put everything into it,” Butcher continued.

“And the players of my generation, and even the players of today, you can see their attitude and their intent to do well for the country. Because there’s a big responsibility, it really is.

“It’s a heavy weight to bear, but it’s a weight that you prepare to take on, and it’s a weight that you know you can lift as well and lift the whole country, not just the team.”

Harry Kane

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“Almost Immortal: When Bobby Robson’s England Gripped The Nation, by Terry Butcher and Neil Prentice, is an all-encompassing, first-hand recollection of one of English football’s most iconic eras. Including archival photography and interviews with England legends like Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker, and Peter Shilton.