The England goalscoring record isn’t one that is broken very often. Before Wayne Rooney scored his 50th goal against Switzerland back in September 2015, the previous tally of 49 set by Bobby Charlton had stood – alone and seemingly untouchable – for 45 years.
Now, eight years on, Harry Kane has etched his name into the England record books having surpassed Rooney’s eventual tally of 53 – and Thomas Lyte’s team of master goldsmiths and silversmiths are both proud and delighted to design and handcraft the golden boot, a perfect replica of a Nike Phantom GT II Elite in gold, marking his achievement with a keepsake that will also stand the test of time.
Harry Kane’s penalty kick for England on the 23rd March against Italy in the match held in Naples will go down in history as a defining moment for both the captain and his team. The tension was palpable as Kane stepped up to the spot. The pressure on Kane was immense, but he remained composed and confidently struck the ball into the back of the net, securing an eventual 2-1 victory for his team and finally putting to bed the inevitable, becoming England’s top goalscorer of all time.
The weekend later, at Wembley Stadium, Kane was awarded a Golden Boot to celebrate his incredible goalscoring feats for the Three Lions. Lovingly hand-crafted in our London workshop, the stunning detail on the boot is a fitting reminder of the goalscoring art that Kane has perfected since making his Three Lions’ bow against Lithuania back in March 2015.
It didn’t take long for Kane to make his mark. In fact, it took just 79 seconds, three touches and one header for him to score his first England goal. “50 more touches and Harry Kane will beat Bobby Charlton’s goalscoring record,” quipped Gary Lineker after he bulged the net for the first time in England colours.
The tabloids had a field day and English football had a new hero. Kane hasn’t stopped scoring since, with his club form for Spurs mirroring that of his country. Earlier this season, the now 29-year-old, beat another iconic English footballer, Jimmy Greaves, to become the leading scorer in the club’s history. He’s also closing in on Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record of 260 top flight goals. In short, he’s rewriting the record books.
And it’s no coincidence that his arrival on the international scene and been coupled with a dramatic upturn in the country’s football fortunes.
In 2018, in Russia, Kane scored his country’s first World Cup hat-trick since 1986, ending up taking home the Golden Boot, emulating the feat of Lineker 32 years before.
In the delayed Euro 2020, held in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, Kane inspired his country to reach the final, against Italy in London, at Wembley Stadium. England’s first major final since 1966.
Italy would eventually win that showdown on penalties, but Kane slotted his home with typical precision. As luck would have it, it was another penalty kick, in a fantastic team win against Italy last week, that finally earned the striker the goal he needed to break Rooney’s record.
Having made goalscoring look like child’s play at the very highest level, Kane now has a golden boot to go with his golden memories.
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