‘I’ve had to prove people wrong’: Kane still striving before record England cap

Harry Kane says he still feels a pressure to prove his worth, even as he prepares to become England’s most capped men’s player, as he outlined his determination to set records that will stand for years.

The captain will make his 126th appearance against Croatia at Wembley on Thursday night, moving him ahead of Peter Shilton on the all-time list. Kane is England’s record goalscorer with 91, comfortably clear of Wayne Rooney, who retired with 53.

Kane will be presented with a memento of his historic cap by Shilton before kick-off against Croatia. Shilton has held the record since 1990 when he finished his 20-year career. Kane’s achievement of winning the Ballon d’Or last month will also be recognised.

“I don’t think it will ever leave me,” Kane said, when asked whether he continued to have points to prove. “It’s probably part of what makes me push myself to the limits that I do because in football, you’ve never completed it. No matter what you’ve achieved, there is always a trophy that someone else has won or a goal record that someone else has.

“Whether it’s noise from the outside, from media or the fans … it just helps motivate me to realise there’s a lot more to achieve. My biggest fear is finishing my career and thinking I could have done a bit more … if I could have just done that or done that. I want to make sure I cross every bridge and do everything possible so that whenever that day does come, I can say I’ve done everything possible. And I can sleep well at night.”

The 33-year-old Kane is conscious that two of his younger England teammates have won a significant number of caps. Declan Rice has 80 at the age of 27; Jude Bellingham 60 at 23. “I’ll try and give them a good number to catch,” Kane said. “The goal record, of course, is going to be one that’s difficult to beat for a while.

“I’ve spoken about leading by example and pushing a lot of these younger players. It’s by setting standards, being available every time, getting the caps and scoring the goals. That should help motivate the younger players. If I was younger and I had a player in front of me doing what I was doing, I know that would push me to think: ‘OK, I can score those goals, I can win the Ballon d’Or, I can break the cap record.’ Whilst I’m in this place, it is to try and set these records as high as I can and one day look back to see if anyone can catch them.”

Kane has been doubted at numerous points of his career, starting when he was released by Arsenal as an eight-year-old. He had difficult loans from Tottenham to Norwich and Leicester in 2012-13 and there were the one-season wonder jibes after his breakthrough campaign for Spurs and England in 2014-15.

Kane has been ridiculed for setting lofty targets. Such as in 2017 when he said he wanted to replicate the numbers of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. When he stated his ambition to win the 2018 World Cup Golden Boot. Or when he stood on the verge of his 100th England cap in September 2024 with 66 goals and said he wanted to score 100. There were questions about his place in the team after Euro 2024 when his performances were underwhelming and he was substituted in the final. Every time, he answered back.

“It’s just my mindset,” Kane said. “Because I’ve had to prove people wrong my whole career. From early academy days proving coaches wrong, proving scouts wrong – it has just been installed in me. If someone tells me I can’t do something it motivates me more to do it.

“When you look at all the great athletes, I’ve spoken before about Tom Brady [the NFL icon] and it’s that unwavering mentality to be the best. Maybe with me, because I’m a calm person and you don’t see … like, the ego of some of these great players and I’m a bit more relaxed … but it doesn’t mean I don’t want it as much as everyone else. That I don’t put in the work and drive myself and everyone around me to be the best.

“Maybe getting released that early [by Arsenal] and proving them wrong and then maybe proving [wrong] my early coaches at Tottenham, who I wasn’t playing as much [under]. The loan moves that didn’t go well. Same thing. I’m going to show them.”

Kane brought up surely the lowest individual moment of his England career – the penalty miss against France in the 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat in 2022. “That was really tough but again it was the way I bounced back,” he said. “And even the fact I scored the next 30 [actually 31] penalties of my career. I changed the technique a little bit and it made me improve. There have been a lot of low points but maybe they are things that have helped me get to where I am now.”