LONDON — Harry Kane has equalled Peter Shilton's 36-year-old record as England's most-capped player after making his 125th appearance for the Three Lions against the Czech Republic in the Nations League on Tuesday. The Bayern Munich striker, 33, remains a key figure for club and country and is already England's record scorer with 89 goals in 124 appearances, having opened his account 79 seconds into his debut.
Kane's journey began at Ridgeway Rovers, the youth side who a generation earlier had produced David Beckham, when a six-year-old arrived for trials in 1999 as a goalkeeper. Former Ridgeway Rovers coach Dave Bricknell said: "We're doing a little shooting session, and I ask for a lad who can go in goal. This little boy puts his hand up and says: 'I'll go in goal.' We give him some gloves, and he performs heroics - makes some fantastic saves. He's tipping it round the post, tipping a couple over the bar." Bricknell added: "I'm thinking this is great, we've got a goalkeeper. And then this woman came up to me and said he's better on the pitch. We put him on pitch and he smacked goals in left, right and centre. So he ends up being our centre forward."
His prolific form for Ridgeway Rovers and his Waltham Forest district side attracted professional scouts, but Arsenal initially snapped him up and then decided not to keep him, while Watford also passed up the opportunity. Former Arsenal academy coach Alex Welsh said: "I first met Harry in the academy and he was a very competent goalkeeper, but his real desire was to score goals. I am absolutely convinced that is the reason why he is such a clinical striker - he intuitively knows what the goalkeeper doesn't like. He shoots early when the goalkeeper's not set." At school, where he attended Larkswood Primary Academy before moving to Chingford Foundation School, PE teacher Mark Leadon described him as technically gifted with a great first touch and a very clever player who was also a talented cricketer, opening the bowling from year seven to 10. Childhood friend Luke Robinson added: "He loved David Beckham, he came in with the Mohican, everyone was laughing but he loved it. He loved football, 24/7, he lived and breathed football."
Tottenham Hotspur offered Kane hope after those early disappointments, though he was by no means the pick of the bunch for his age group. He signed scholarship terms with the club on his 16th birthday in July 2009, impressing through work ethic rather than early stardom. Former Tottenham youth-team coach Alex Inglethorpe said: "When I joined Spurs as under-18 coach, Harry was 13. I'd like to say he was the gold medallist in the group and we'd all spotted he was going to be the fantastic player, but I'd be lying. He probably wasn't even on the podium." Inglethorpe added: "He was wonderfully demanding to coach because he always wanted to stay out and do extra. That obsession to improve is undoubtedly his greatest strength."
Kane's first taste of men's football came on loan at League One Leyton Orient, where he made his professional debut in January 2011 at Rochdale coming on for veteran striker Scott McGleish and scored five goals in 18 games, with nine starts. McGleish said: "Harry was not like other Premier League players, where you feel they're going to come in 'Billy Big Time'. He wanted the experience of learning what I call men's football." The milestone against the Czech Republic now places Kane alongside Shilton at the top of England's appearance list, strengthening his case in the debate over England's greatest international, as explored in Harry Kane Equals Shilton Record as England's Greatest Debate Grows.