Harry Kane has become England’s all-time top scorer in men’s international football, passing Wayne Rooney with his first-half penalty against Italy.
The Tottenham forward converted from the spot to grab his 54th goal for the Three Lions after a VAR check deemed Giovanni Di Lorenzo to have handled the ball.
Kane had been tied with Rooney following the World Cup in Qatar, missing the chance to own the record outright when he blazed his quarter-final penalty over the crossbar against France.
That delayed the England captain until this latest international break, in which he belatedly eclipsed Rooney’s 53 goals.
Having netted his landmark goal as he earned his 81st cap, Kane required considerably fewer matches to make history than Rooney, who played 120 times for his country.
Rooney had moved beyond Bobby Charlton’s long-standing record of 49 back in 2015, later also beating the World Cup winner to become Manchester United’s all-time leading marksman.
Kane already owns the Tottenham record after surpassing Jimmy Greaves earlier this year.
