England manager Thomas Tuchel says the team “will not get another Harry Kane” as the captain prepares to lead the Three Lions into Friday’s crucial meeting with Croatia.
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 men’s national team’s history.
The Bayern Munich striker has been England’s leading forward and captain for more than a decade. However, at 33, there is a strong possibility he will not be part of the squad for Euro 2028 or the 2030 World Cup.
Tuchel accepts that replacing Kane’s contribution will require a different approach rather than finding an identical successor.
“You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all,” Tuchel said ahead of the Croatia clash.
“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, and has continued to carry a significant goalscoring responsibility for England.
Tuchel also believes Jude Bellingham could operate as a central striker if required, despite the Real Madrid midfielder usually playing in a deeper or more advanced midfield role.
“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 landmark no England player has reached. He is 13 goals short of that total after scoring against Spain and Czechia, leaving him within reach of another milestone in his international career.
England will face Croatia on Friday night, with Kane aiming to increase his tally and help Tuchel’s side through a demanding test. The striker’s long-term replacement remains uncertain, but Tuchel says it will not be a direct copy of England’s record goalscorer.