Harry Kane marked his 100th cap for England in style, scoring both goals in Tuesday’s 2-0 UEFA Nations League win over Finland.
Kane finally broke the deadlock for the hosts in the 57th minute with an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net from just inside the box. And he ensured the three points for England by doubling his tally with a clever first-time finish following a square pass from substitute Noni Madueke on his international debut.
The victory means England have started Lee Carsley’s reign as interim manager with two wins from their opening two Nations League matches.
Kane had earlier been presented with a golden cap by fellow England centurions Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole in a special ceremony before kick-off at Wembley after becoming the 10th men’s player to reach the milestone.
Kane is England’s all-time top scorer with 68 goals during a career in which he has started 87 games and been named captain on 73 occasions.
The Bayern Munich striker made his England debut in March 2015 — marking the occasion with a goal just 79 seconds after coming on.
Kane has played more games at major finals (28) than any other Englishman but is yet to win a trophy having been part of the side that lost back-to-back Euros finals, including this summer’s 2-1 defeat to Spain.
Speaking on Thursday, Kane brushed off criticism of his recent performances and cited 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo as a role model in his desire to play on at the highest level for years to come.
“I feel in really good shape,” he said. “I feel both physically and mentally at a peak in my career. Just watching other players like Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal yesterday and seeing him compete at 38, 39 years old, just inspires me to play for as long as possible.
“I love this game, I love representing England more than anything and I don’t want it to end any time soon. For me, it is about continuing to improve, being consistent in an England shirt and at club level. Who knows how many caps or goals I can get but I am hungry for more and determined to keep pushing the boundaries.”
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