Kane and Bellingham driving England forward after World Cup pain

Harry Kane is set to equal England’s appearance record with his 125th cap against the Czech Republic on Tuesday as the striker looks to build on his flourishing partnership with “scary” Jude Bellingham.

Kane will take centre stage if he ties former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s landmark in the Nations League clash at Wembley.

The England captain’s pride in representing his country has shone through since his debut against Lithuania in 2015.

Kane scored within two minutes of coming off the bench in that match, and he has rarely endured a barren spell in an England shirt ever since.

The 33-year-old is England’s record scorer with 89 goals after netting twice in Saturday’s 7-0 demolition of Croatia.

Bayern Munich star Kane has been England’s talisman and the one constant throughout their highs and lows over the last 11 years.

Roy Hodgson gave Kane his England debut and the striker has since played under coaches Sam Allardyce, Gareth Southgate, Lee Carsley and now Thomas Tuchel.

But even having a player of Kane’s predatory instincts and remarkable consistency has not been enough for England to end their angst-ridden wait for a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

England lost the European Championship final in 2021 and 2024.

And for Kane to follow Bobby Moore as the only male England captain to lift a trophy, Tuchel believes he needs an assist from a midfielder whose virtuoso performance against Croatia on Saturday drew gushing praise from team-mates and pundits alike.

In danger of missing out on the World Cup after being dropped from the England squad in October 2025, Real Madrid star Bellingham has gone from Tuchel’s doghouse to the penthouse over the last 12 months.

Having irked Tuchel with his volatile on-pitch antics, Bellingham eventually regained his place in time for the World Cup in June and July.

It was Bellingham rather than Kane who finished as England’s top scorer at the World Cup, but their tournament ended in semi-final heartbreak against Argentina.

‘Never seen anything like it’

Tuchel’s defensive tactics in the closing stage of that loss were widely pilloried.

But has learnt from that late meltdown and wants England to stay on the offensive, with Kane and Bellingham leading the charge.

Key to England’s hopes of winning Euro 2028 will be Kane staying healthy and Bellingham remaining in the kind of masterful form that inspired the rout of Croatia.

The 23-year-old was so dominant in Rijeka, scoring once and providing three assists, that former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane said he can go on to be “one of the greatest players of all time”.

“At this moment in time, he is an amazing footballer. The package, his running power, his delivery, his goal threat,” Keane said.

Keane’s praise was echoed by Bournemouth’s Alex Scott, who made his first England start alongside Bellingham and Elliot Anderson in midfield against Croatia.

“Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Scott said.

“He’s even better in person, seeing it up close and being on the same pitch as him, he’s the best midfielder in the world.

“On the pitch his ability is scary and that’s the benchmark we need to live up to.”

England winger Bukayo Saka added: “He was special, (I’m) happy to play with him and happy to have him in the England team.”

Tuchel said Kane’s relationship with Bellingham has blossomed on and off the pitch in recent months, paving the way for the explosion of creativity and goals from the pair.

Fittingly, it was Bellingham who took the captain’s armband from Kane when the striker was replaced late in the Croatia match.

“They get better and better. They love playing with each other. They understand each other better,” Tuchel said.

“We adjusted our positioning a little bit after the World Cup. Jude almost plays a little bit more offensive for us. That’s where I see him in the most dangerous position.”

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