Harry Kane targets 100 England goals as he prepares to win 100th cap

Harry Kane has set himself the target of scoring 100 international goals as he prepares to become the 10th England player to reach 100 caps against Finland on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old has scored 66 goals since his debut as a substitute against Lithuania in 2015, while he is the country’s all-time leading scorer since surpassing Wayne Rooney’s previous record of 53 in March last year.

Despite England reaching the Euro 2024 final over the summer, the Bayern Munich forward has been criticised for his overall play as he has failed to rediscover the kind of form that saw him score 44 times in his debut season with the Bundesliga side.

Asked if he could score 100 goals for his country after his memorable performance, he replied: “Yes. How much is 34 goals (to score)?

“A hundred caps happened very quickly, especially in the last few years, where I played three major tournaments in such a short space of time. During those years, I made about 15, 16, 17 caps per year, whereas in a normal year, it would be 10.

“The goals were similar. I felt like I hit 30 goals, then 50, then 60. It’s definitely there and it’s definitely possible. I feel like I’m in a good place and those are good goals to try to achieve.”

“Some might consider them unrealistic, but I’d rather go for something unrealistic and not achieve it than just say I’ll be happy with 70 or 80 goals.”

Kane averaged almost a goal per game for Bayern last season, while his tally in England is just over one in two.

He acknowledged that the success rate of the world’s top scorers has increased significantly in recent years, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi regularly scoring more La Liga goals than the number of games they have played.

This trend has since been seen in the Premier League, with Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scoring 36 goals in 35 games in his debut season in England.

“It was probably a good thing at the time but now the bar has changed a little bit,” Kane said. “When you see my numbers from last year and Haaland, Ronaldo, Messi, the standard is getting higher and higher.

“One in two is not a bad record, don’t get me wrong, but maybe we have all set standards and expect more of ourselves.

“My record for England is a bit better than that and I hope to maintain that throughout my caps.”

Kane, who is set to receive a gold cap on the Wembley pitch before kick-off against Finland, will become the first player to reach 100 appearances since Rooney achieved the feat in November 2014.

“Playing regularly at a high level is really difficult,” he said. “That’s why I have so much respect for Ronaldo, Messi and those players.

“To be able to do it for 15 or 20 years is a state of mind and an achievement. Right now, 100 caps, that’s part of what makes me really proud.

“As England’s number nine you face fierce competition, some of the best strikers in England trying to take your place.”