Kane is now only 10 appearances away from matching Shilton on that front, with the ex-Nottingham Forest and Leicester City shot-stopper having figured in 125 matches over the course of two decades between 1970 and 1990.
Shilton is happy to pass a piece of history on to Kane, saying when asked if he expected said record to have gone by now given that modern schedules include a lot more international football than those of bygone eras: “There’s been a few occasions where I felt possibly players were coming on from substitute for five or ten minutes at the end of games and getting a cap that I thought, ‘oh, I’m not sure if that’s right’.
“But with Harry there’s none of that – he plays in matches, he gives 100 per cent, his record’s brilliant. So, if anybody’s going to do it, I think for a striker as well to play beyond – although it’s changing these days with (Lionel) Messi and (Cristiano) Ronaldo playing when they’re 40. Probably in my era, players, strikers were known to be going over the top at 32.
“It looks as though Harry could break it. I’d be pleased for him to break it because I do respect him. I do respect him the way he acts as a professional. And he’s a striker, which is the hardest position to play – second hardest is goalkeeper!”
Kane and England will be in World Cup action on Tuesday when taking on Ghana at Gillette Stadium – the home of the New England Patriots NFL franchise – in Foxborough, with Thomas Tuchel and Co hoping for no mishaps there after seeing their skipper bag a brace in a tournament-opening 4-2 win over Croatia.
