Where Kane ranks among England’s all-time top goalscorers

Harry Kane has established himself as one of England’s greatest strikers — but where does he rank in the all-time goalscoring charts?

Skipper Kane is well on the way to becoming the Three Lions’ most prolific marksman. 

The Tottenham star has made startling progress since his international debut back in 2015, blasting his way up the list of legendary finishers with top spot now in his sights.

But just when may Kane take on the mantle of England’s greatest goalscorer? Who is he battling against? Which have been his greatest goals?

With England preparing for friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast this international break, we turn the spotlight on the clinical forward. 

How many goals has Harry Kane scored for England?

Kane has scored 48 goals in 67 appearances for England. 

His first Three Lions strike was on his debut, when he came on as a substitute against Lithuania for current record scorer Wayne Rooney, nodding in a header a mere 79 seconds after entering the fray. 

He would only find the net six times in his opening 17 games for the Three Lions but has since bagged 42 times in just 50 appearances — testament to how potent a finisher he has become in recent years.

Kane, 28, has five England hat-tricks to his name. 

His first came against Panama at the 2018 World Cup and he bagged trebles against Bulgaria and Montenegro in Euro 2020 qualifying a year later.

More recently, he struck back-to-back hat-tricks against Albania and San Marino in last November’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

His 13 penalties are the highest total scored by any England star, usurping Frank Lampard’s previous record of nine. 

On a slightly quirkier note, Kane is one of only three players to have scored for England on every day of the week, along with Rooney and Lampard.

Who is England’s all-time top goalscorer?

Rooney currently tops the England goalscoring charts with 53 goals.

He sits four goals ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton, the 1966 World Cup winner who saw his 49-goal tally lead the way for 45 years before being overtaken by Roo.

Gary Lineker is tied with Kane as England’s third-highest goalscorer, sitting just one goal behind Charlton on 48 strikes.

What are Harry Kane’s best England goals?

Although typically known for his poacher’s instinct, a few of Kane’s England goals do stand out from the rest.

A man for the big occasion, Kane notched the first goal of England’s iconic 3-2 comeback win in Germany in 2016 and silenced a raucous Hampden Park with a stoppage-time equaliser against Scotland one year later.

His tournament record is also impressive, notching six times at the 2018 World Cup to take the Golden Boot before firing four in at Euro 2020, where he led England to the final in fine fashion.

And he has shown remarkable coolness from the spot at major tournaments — huge penalties against Colombia (2018) and Denmark (2021) were dispatched with impressive confidence.

Kane is truly one of the modern game’s greats.   

England’s top 5 goalscorers

1. Wayne Rooney (53)

2. Bobby Charlton (49)

=3 Gary Lineker, Harry Kane (48)

5. Jimmy Greaves (44)