Harry Kane buzzing with ‘magical moment’ breaking England goalscoring record

On Mar 24, 2023

Harry Kane hailed his ‘magical moment’ after becoming England’s record goalscorer on a historic night in Naples.

Kane scored from the spot to notch his 54th goal and break Wayne Rooney’s record to help England beat Italy 2-1 in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier. It was England’s first win on Italian soil since 1961.

And it was also the perfect redemption for Kane, who missed a penalty in England’s World Cup quarter final defeat to France in Doha in December. A thrilled Kane said: “I was on the pitch when Wayne broke the record and I know what it meant to him.

“It means everything to me. I was so excited to put the England shirt back on and get back out there. It had to be a penalty, of course. Once it hit the back of the net it was just huge emotion.

“I owe a huge thanks to all the players, staff, the fans, my wife, my family back home, everybody who’s helped me get to this stage. It’s a magical moment.

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“I just do what I do – I practise and I work hard. I picked my spot and thankfully put it away. It’s just a great night. Breaking the goalscoring record is always going to be a huge thing, but the circumstances – when you win and when England haven’t won here for such a long time. It’s an amazing, amazing night.”

Captain Kane’s heroics and a goal from Declan Rice helped England triumph – despite finishing the game with 10 men following Luke Shaw’s red card for two quick bookings.

Kane’s penalty went on to be the difference between England and Italy
(Image: AP)

Boss Gareth Southgate paid tribute to Kane and said: “His overall performance was outstanding. “To break the record in the manner he did given the recent history is testament to his strength of character.

“He’s a brilliant professional and to do it in so few games (81), I’m delighted for him. He deserves all the praise he’s going to get. He addressed the players afterwards and everyone appreciated what a historic moment it was.”