Harry Kane has become England men's all-time top goal scorer as he scored his 54th goal for the Three Lions against Italy on Thursday night. The Tottenham star took his tally beyond Wayne Rooney, who held the record with 53 goals during his career as a striker for the nation, with an emphatic penalty after Declan Rice had already given England the lead.
Gareth Southgate's side flew out of the blocks in Naples with Rice handing his nation the lead after just 13 minutes. Kane was then handed the chance to double the visitors' lead from the penalty spot and cement his name in England history by becoming the all-time record scorer.
Bukayo Saka had sent in a cross which was handled by Giovanni Di Lorenzo and given as a spot-kick after a VAR intervention. Faced by Gianluigi Donnarumma, Kane sent the shot-stopped the wrong way to put England 2-0 up and surpass Rooney at the top of the goal-scoring charts.
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Kane has managed to earn the title of top goal scorer in 39 games fewer than his predecessor, underlining how crucial he has been to the side since breaking through. The clash in Naples was his first appearance in an England shirt for the captain since his missed penalty against France in December, a costly mistake that saw the side crash out of the World Cup in the quarter-finals.
There will be hopes of putting that disappointment behind swiftly, with qualification for the 2024 European Championships underway. The Three Lions have a far from easy group, facing the holders Italy alongside the likes of Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta in their group.
Order an official Tottenham Hotspur magazine celebrating when Harry Kane reached the record 267th goal for his club here: https://reachsportshop.com/special_edition/harrykane/
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