Do England already have their Kane replacement - or is he yet to emerge?

ByMatt Jones

BBC Sport journalist

Where would England beryllium without Harry Kane?

With each grounds helium breaks and landmark helium passes, the question becomes progressively hard to tackle. But, present aged 33, determination is simply a increasing request for an answer.

The Bayern Munich striker became his nation's joint-highest appearance-maker connected Tuesday astatine Wembley, netting doubly successful the 3-0 triumph implicit Czechia, taking his tally to 91 goals successful 125 caps.

He is arguably successful the signifier of his life. He won a league and cupful treble with Bayern past word - scoring 61 goals successful 51 games for the German giants successful 2025-26 - and he's among the favourites for the Ballon d'Or.

However, erstwhile the adjacent European Championship kicks disconnected successful the summertime of 2028, Kane volition beryllium 35. Alternatives and eventual replacements volition surely beryllium connected the caput of whoever is astatine the helm then.

Three Lions brag Thomas Tuchel said: "You volition not get different Harry Kane, archetypal of all. We look for antithetic options and solutions."

So what are England's options successful a satellite without him? Is the reply already successful beforehand of america - oregon could it beryllium idiosyncratic yet to adjacent emerge?

Tuchel seems to deliberation England whitethorn person an enactment wrong their ranks already successful the guise of chap superstar Jude Bellingham.

He shrugged disconnected question marks implicit his spot successful the squad up of the World Cup to rapidly go a rival to Kane arsenic England's astir influential player.

"I similar him arsenic a nine," Tuchel admitted up of England's 7-0 triumph implicit Croatia. "He is simply a earthy goalscorer and helium has the hunger to beryllium connected the scoreboard.

"He wants to beryllium determination and person the decisive action, truthful it makes not a immense quality if helium plays arsenic a 9 oregon a 10.

The German has surely helped Bellingham adhd a productive borderline to his game.

Since the commencement of the 2026 World Cup, the Real Madrid prima has netted 10 times successful 12 matches for England, having scored six times successful the 48 games beforehand.

BBC Radio 5 Live's elder shot newsman Ian Dennis said: "The idiosyncratic who is going to regenerate Kane has already emerged – and that's Jude Bellingham.

"We person seen it astatine times, erstwhile they play that mendacious nine, Bellingham tin spell into that precocious role. He volition besides eclipse Kane successful presumption of appearances. This is simply a subordinate who volition proceed to spell from spot to strength."

At Real Madrid, Bellingham played often arsenic a mendacious 9 successful his archetypal play for the club, with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo offering penetration from the wide positions.

It was Bellingham's astir productive play for Real Madrid, with the numbers indicating conscionable however overmuch of an all-round bundle he's developed into now.

In a akin style, truthful overmuch of Kane's bully enactment for England comes from dropping deep, operating arsenic a playmaker and past surging into the container to decorativeness chances.

If England privation different subordinate who tin straddle the No. 9 and No. 10 positions simultaneously, past Bellingham could beryllium their champion fit.

And, with the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, determination are nary shortage of options to capable the Bellingham role.

However erstwhile England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said connected 5 Live: "He is not a nine, Bellingham plays disconnected others.

"I bash deliberation if England are going to play this strategy – and retrieve Kane has a agelong clip near – I don't spot Bellingham arsenic the retired and retired fig nine."

In presumption of earthy centre-forward replacements for Kane, England bash not person overmuch depth.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made a lawsuit to beryllium Kane's back-up. He has 17 goals successful 40 Premier League appearances since moving to Leeds United past summer.

However, determination is simply a consciousness that Calvert-Lewin is not a dependable finisher - helium underperformed by 2.13 successful presumption of xG successful the Premier League past play - portion astatine 29 helium is not a semipermanent solution to Kane.

Away from the Leeds striker, determination are not galore centre-forwards making a case.

The lone different English strikers to people successful the Premier League truthful acold this play are Nottingham Forest's Liam Delap, rebuilding his vocation aft a hard spell astatine Chelsea, and Ipswich Town's Chuba Akpom, who some person 1 extremity each.

Across the 2026-27 season, English left-backs, with six, person much goals than English centre-forwards, with five.

Danny Welbeck was pushing for a callback past play with 13 Premier League goals but astatine the property of 35, his clip is apt to person passed and helium is surely nary semipermanent solution.

Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins, antecedently considered by Tuchel, are some playing their shot successful the Saudi Pro League and were some near retired of the astir caller squad. Both are besides already into their thirties.

If England bash person an contented astatine centre-forward owed to a Kane wounded oregon suspension - oregon his eventual status - they could ever opt to play without one.

Tuchel has utilized the maneuver before, with Kai Havertz often deployed astatine the constituent of the onslaught during his clip arsenic Chelsea boss. Havertz scored 10 goals successful the 33 league games successful which helium was utilized arsenic a centre-forward by Tuchel.

A much fluid strategy has besides been utilized to large effect by satellite and European champions Spain, who person deployed converted wingers Mikel Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres arsenic strikers.

Anthony Gordon, who scored 3 times during the planetary break, could acceptable that peculiar bill. The winger was utilized arsenic a striker by Newcastle United precocious past play and had occurrence successful the Champions League, netting 10 times successful 12 appearances overall.

There are immoderate intriguing centre-forward options coming through.

Aston Villa's 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo scored 5 goals successful pre-season for Villa, including 1 successful the UEFA Super Cup against European champions Paris Saint-Germain, bullying the elite centre-back duo of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho throughout.

Madjo has been sidelined for 7 weeks since that crippled due to the fact that of injury, but helium is adjacent to making a first-team instrumentality aft appearing successful a affable against Sevilla during the planetary break.

In the Championship, 21-year-old Will Lankshear - a Tottenham academy postgraduate similar Kane - has deed the crushed moving for Middlesbrough with 8 goals successful 11 appearances for his caller club.

Man City's Divin Mubama, connected indebtedness astatine Southampton, has scored 5 goals successful 10 European under-21 Championship qualifiers, portion the likes of Bristol City's Dom Ballard and Millwall's Josh Coburn are seen arsenic young strikers with immense potential.

And Kane could yet springiness them clip to make having been inspired by the longevity of the recently retired Lionel Messi.

"As you spot connected the different extremity with Leo there, he's inactive performing astatine the highest level," Kane said aft England's semi-final nonaccomplishment to Argentina successful the summer. "So I ne'er privation to enactment a bounds connected these things."

England supporters volition anticipation so. So volition Tuchel. That way, the Kane conundrum is apt to beryllium passed connected to 1 of his successors.

"There volition beryllium idiosyncratic else, but it volition not beryllium Harry oregon a transcript of Harry," Tuchel added. "We volition find a solution erstwhile it comes to it but possibly not me. It mightiness beryllium different 10 years."