England manager Thomas Tuchel says the national team will not find another Harry Kane when the captain eventually steps away from international football.
Kane has scored 87 goals in 123 appearances for England, making him the country’s all-time leading scorer and the second-most capped player in the history of the Three Lions.
The Bayern Munich striker has been at the centre of England’s attack for more than a decade and, at 33, may not still be involved when the team competes at Euro 2028 or the 2030 World Cup.
Speaking before Friday night’s meeting with Croatia, Tuchel acknowledged that replacing Kane would be an exceptionally difficult task. He said England would need to find a player capable of making a similar impact, although not by trying to replicate the captain exactly.
“You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all,” Tuchel said.
“He is the first one to push everyone and that is his mindset and he became a very, very hardworking forward on top of his finishing skills. He is a complete package.
“We look for different options and solutions. We finished the game with Jude up front as a number nine.
“There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry. We will find a solution when it comes to it but maybe not me. It might be another 10 years.”
Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2024, while his goalscoring record has established him as one of the most important players in England’s recent history.
Tuchel also discussed the possibility of Jude Bellingham playing as a central striker. Bellingham has operated in an advanced midfield role but finished England’s previous game as a number nine.
“He is a natural goalscorer and he has the hunger to be on the scoreboard,” Tuchel said. “He wants to be there and have the decisive action, so it makes not a huge difference if he plays as a nine or a 10.”
Kane is reportedly targeting 100 international goals, a mark no England player has previously reached. He is 13 goals short of the milestone after scoring against Spain and Czechia, leaving him within reach of another record.
England’s next fixture is against Croatia on Friday night, when Kane will have the opportunity to add to his international total.