Harry Kane will retire as the greatest player in England history, according to Three Lions goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
The England captain marked his 100th cap with two thunderous finishes, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Finland in the Nations League that gave interim head coach Lee Carsley a 100 per cent winning start.
Kane’s double took his tally to 68 international goals, two closer to the 100-goal target the nation’s all-time record scorer set for himself this week.
The Bayern Munich striker, 31, was presented with a commemorative gold cap before kick-off by Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, two of the nine men to reach a century of appearances for England before him.
“It’s more than likely, definitely,” Pickford said, when asked whether Kane will retire as England’s all-time greatest player.
“I don’t think he’s in a rush to stop, so he’ll keep pushing and keep working hard. He’ll push that [100-goal] target, and it will be hard for people to chase. I think he will make sure that no one can be better than him.
“Over the week, we’ve had a lot of lads make their debuts. We’ve got Harry making his 100th cap, and he leads by example.
“All the lads buy into it — the new lads will look at him and [realise] that is the standard you are at, as an England player.
“When I came into the dressing room seven years ago, it was the same thing for me.
“He sets the standard and you have got to rise to it. He leads by example, and I don’t think that will change.”
Kane, who scored 79 seconds into his England debut against Lithuania in March 2015, won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as well as sharing it with five players at Euro 2024, despite drawing criticism for his performances.
He became the country’s leading scorer in March last year by overtaking Wayne Rooney, the only man to reach a century of England caps at a younger age.
Kane, who outscored every player in Europe last season, said: “To score a couple of good goals, a couple of nice finishes, and help the team win 2-0 was pretty much perfect. It was a proud night for me and the family.
“Everything I do wouldn’t have been possible without them. I’ve had some special nights in an England shirt and that was right up there.”
The England captain even hinted at a change of position later in his career.
He said: “I feel I could play as a No9 or No10, even in midfield, who knows?
“Later in my career, a manager might want to use me deeper to use my passing to hurt teams. But now I want to keep scoring the goals I need to score to play as a No9.”
Carsley was pleased with England’s performance, as they made it two wins from two in the Nations League, following Saturday’s 2-0 victory against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
“It was important that we got the results but, more importantly for me, that we had the performances,” he said.
“You want to stand at the side of the pitch enjoying watching the team attacking and being excited. I thought we had that over the two games.
“I have been out of my comfort zone. We have had to make sure every single day we are producing high standards.”
Carsley added: “It is a test, not only for myself, but for the rest of the staff. We have shown to ourselves we can implement what we are trying to do.”
