Harry Kane is set to win his 100th England cap on Tuesday against Finland but the striker faces an uncertain future intertwined with that of interim manager Lee Carsley.
England’s past and future will collide when they welcome Finland to Wembley Stadium for the first home fixture of the new Nations League cycle on Tuesday evening.
Before kick-off, the Football Association will pay tribute to Sven-Goran Eriksson following the death last month of the first man from outside Britain to manage the national team.
There will also be a special presentation for Harry Kane, who will receive a golden cap in recognition of making his 100th appearance for the senior team.
Kane is only the 10th man to reach that milestone, which will leave him 25 caps short of the all-time record held by former Three Lions goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
Having already racked up more England goals than anyone in history, the striker now has the appearance milestone in his sights. He could even win his 126th cap at the next major tournament, the 2026 World Cup.
It is not totally guaranteed that Kane, 31, will still be in the team by then, however, and how – if? – to use him will be one of the biggest decisions for the next permanent England manager.
Kane’s output has continued to diverge at club and international level. While his prolific goal record has gone to another level since joining Bayern Munich last season, his performances for England at recent major tournaments have been largely peripheral.
Since claiming the Golden Boot as England reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Kane has particularly struggled to get going for his country at the biggest events.
The 31-year-old has scored just once in nine group stage matches at the last three tournaments, while at Euro 2024 it felt as though his listlessness had come to a head.
When his team needed impetus, Gareth Southgate took to substituting Kane. Against the Netherlands in the semis, it allowed Ollie Watkins to come on and score the winner.
Kane has made clear that he wants to play at the next World Cup and perhaps beyond, citing the relentless Cristiano Ronaldo’s ongoing exploits as an example.
“I feel in really good shape, both physically and mentally, at a peak in my career,” said the former Tottenham Hotspur star.
“Watching other players, Ronaldo scoring his 901st goal, seeing him compete at 39 years old inspires me to play for as long as possible.
“I love this game, I love representing England more than anything and I don’t want it to end any time soon. I’m hungry for more. I’m determined to keep pushing the boundaries.”
It is to Kane’s advantage that there is a shortage of English talent ready to take the shirt off his back. Watkins is perhaps best placed but has had a slow start to the season, while Ivan Toney may have damaged his chances by leaving for the Saudi Pro League.
Beyond them, Cole Palmer looks more effective playing between the lines while Anthony Gordon, who has played centrally for the Under-21s, seems more at home on the wing.
Encouragingly for Kane, interim England boss Lee Carsley showed signs of using him more effectively in his first game in charge, Saturday’s 2-0 win in the Republic of Ireland.
“I’ve only worked with him for around seven days, but straight away you can see how motivated and committed he is, how good an example he is for the other players,” said Carsley.
“You could tell straight away how motivated he is to win a major tournament, which is brilliant for whoever comes in.”
When Kane dropped deep in Dublin, as he has increasingly done the older he has got, Gordon and Jack Grealish were able to take advantage by running into the space vacated.
Carsley has sensibly measured his comments and made no promises while he auditions for the position, but if he can crack the Kane conundrum then they could both be sticking around.