- Published
"It's great when fairytales come true," England boss Roy Hodgson said after 21-year-old Tottenham striker Harry Kane scored 79 seconds into his international debut back in 2015.
asserted
Kane → publish → 2015
"Let's hope it's the start of a good and long England career for him."
Eleven years on, Kane will make his 126th appearance for his country and become the most-capped men's player in Three Lions history when England play Croatia in the Nations League at Wembley on Thursday (19:45 GMT).
asserted
England → hope → Thursday
Peter Shilton, who served England as a goalkeeper, won 125 caps between 1970 and 1990.
"It's not about me - it's about the team," said Kane, scorer of 91 goals in 125 appearances for his country, about his landmark moment.
"I love coming to every England camp, I love playing every game and representing the country in the best way possible."
asserted
I → serve → way
Kane, 33, has gone through every emotion playing for his country.
asserted
Kane → go → country
He fought back tears after missing a penalty in the World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in 2022, and sang Wonderwall with fans following the win over Croatia at this summer's World Cup - which he labelled one of his "favourite ever moments" in a Three Lions shirt.
London-born Kane is the boy who grew up in Chingford to captain his country, become England's record goalscorer and win the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
Now the Bayern Munich striker stands on the brink of making more appearances than any other man in England's football history.
asserted
striker → fight → history
"He wins the Ballon d'Or, and deservedly so, and in the next game for England he gets the all-time record with 126 matches," England boss Thomas Tuchel said about Kane when announcing his squad last week.
asserted
Tuchel → win → squad
"Thursday is a deserved occasion to celebrate an extraordinary player."
asserted
Thursday → celebrate → player
Long before Kane made his first senior appearance for his country in a 4-0 Euro 2015 qualifying win over Lithuania at Wembley, he was an England fan.
asserted
he → make → Wembley
Aged 12, he remembers the heartache of going out on penalties to Portugal in the quarter-finals of the 2006 World Cup under Sven-Goran Eriksson and failing to qualify for Euro 2008 under Steve McClaren.
asserted
he → age → McClaren
"During most major tournaments we would go to the pub to watch England, with the beer garden and the screen," said Kane.
asserted
Kane → go → garden
"We loved England, we loved watching England and we were big England fans.
asserted
we → love → England
I remember many tears being shed after we went out on penalties and things like that.
asserted
we → remember → that
Kane fell in love with football from an early age.
asserted
Kane → fall → age
Aged five, he wrote about his ambition to become a footballer in a school project.
asserted
he → age → project
Weekends and holidays were spent playing football in his local Ridgeway Park with his dad Patrick and brother Charlie.
asserted
Weekends → spend → dad
They would use trees as goalposts, with the two brothers taking turns to shoot while Patrick was in goal.
asserted
Patrick → use → goal
At Larkswood Primary School, Kane and his friends would play football in the playground - where they were only allowed to use tennis balls.
asserted
they → play → balls
By then, the future England captain was playing for Sunday league team Ridgeway Rovers - whose former players included David Beckham, Kane's idol growing up.
asserted
players → play → Beckham
Former Manchester United midfielder Beckham, who won 115 England caps between 1996 and 2009, was playing for Real Madrid when Kane was at Chingford Foundation School.
"He had sent a Real Madrid shirt back to our secondary school," added Kane.
asserted
Kane → win → school
"Seeing Beckham's shirt hanging there growing up and knowing he grew up in the same surroundings as I did was a source of great motivation."
asserted
I → see → motivation
The leader
Wayne Rooney was England captain and Joe Hart was goalkeeper when Kane came on to make his Three Lions debut 11 years ago.
asserted
Kane → come → debut
"My reaction when he first came into the England squad was: 'Alright, who is this guy?'" Hart told BBC Sport of the young Tottenham striker called up after scoring 26 goals in 42 league and cup games in 2014-15.
asserted
Hart → come → 2014
Then he kept coming back [into the England squad] and my reaction was: 'Flipping heck, he's getting better!'
asserted
he → keep → heck
I went to Tottenham during Covid and it got to the point in training where he was that good that I wasn't even diving for his shots.
asserted
I → go → shots
I was thinking: 'I adore you, but you are frustrating the life out of me.'
asserted
you → think → me
"
Kane has served five different England managers.
asserted
Kane → serve → managers
As well as Hodgson and current boss Tuchel, Kane won 81 of his 125 caps under Gareth Southgate, played for Lee Carsley when he was interim boss in 2024, and appeared in Sam Allardyce's sole match in charge in 2016.
It was Southgate who recognised Kane's leadership skills and handed him the England captaincy for the first time in 2017, even though Kane was not captain of Tottenham at the time.
asserted
Kane → win → time
"I want people with leadership qualities who are respected by the group, and capable of stepping forward at the right moments and handling responsibility," said Southgate.
asserted
Southgate → want → responsibility
When he has started, Kane has captained the Three Lions 97 times - more than anyone else.
asserted
Kane → start → anyone
Kane: The role model
How long will Kane carry on playing for England?
asserted
Kane → carry → England
More worryingly, who will lead the attack when he retires?
asserted
he → lead → attack
Despite individual awards and back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich, Kane has yet to inspire his country to a major trophy.
asserted
Kane → have → trophy
He will be approaching 35 when England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland co-host Euro 2028.
asserted
England → approach → Euro
"He aged, but he got better too, like red wine," Lothar Matthaus, West Germany's 1990 World Cup-winning captain, told BBC Sport.
asserted
Matthaus → age → Sport
Kane, who has had to adapt his game to stay at the top level, is certainly not ready to talk publicly about retirement dates while he is still only 33.
asserted
he → have → dates
"From a physical point of view, I feel great," he told BBC Sport recently.
asserted
he → feel → Sport
"My numbers are as high as ever, and I've recently reached a new top speed in a game against Borussia Dortmund.
asserted
I → reach → Dortmund
I'm going to keep pushing and see what else is possible."
asserted
what → go → ?
Kane's former Tottenham and England team-mate Hart added: "He's never particularly relied on pace.
asserted
He → add → pace
It's all about his thought process and his brain and how he calculates the game."
asserted
he → calculate → game
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
