Harry Kane continues to rewrite England's record books, but questions are mounting over who might eventually fill his boots. At 33, and fresh off becoming his country's joint-highest appearance-maker with a brace against Czechia in a 3-0 win at Wembley, Kane now has 91 goals from 125 caps. His club form for Bayern Munich remains exceptional too, having scored 61 goals in 51 appearances last season as he challenges for the Ballon d'Or.
Yet by the time the next European Championship arrives in 2028, Kane will be 35, prompting speculation about succession plans. England manager Thomas Tuchel has acknowledged the scale of the challenge ahead, stating plainly that no player could simply replicate what Kane offers. "You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all," Tuchel said. "We look for different options and solutions."
One name frequently mentioned as a potential long-term fix is Jude Bellingham, who has become central to England's attacking identity since the summer's World Cup. Tuchel has floated the idea of using the Real Madrid midfielder as an advanced forward, praising his instincts in front of goal. "I like him as a nine," Tuchel said ahead of England's 7-0 demolition of Croatia. "He is a natural goalscorer and he has the hunger to be on the scoreboard. 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."
Bellingham's numbers support the theory — he has scored 10 times in 12 England appearances since the World Cup began, a sharp rise from six goals in his previous 48 caps. BBC Radio 5 Live reporter Ian Dennis went further, suggesting Bellingham has already shown he can be Kane's heir. "The person who is going to replace Kane has already emerged – and that's Jude Bellingham," Dennis said, pointing to his eventual tally of caps and his continued development.
Not everyone agrees, however. Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson pushed back on the idea that Bellingham is suited to a permanent striking role. "He is not a nine, Bellingham plays off others," Robinson said, adding that with Kane likely to remain in contention for years yet, there's no urgent need to convert him into an out-and-out forward.
When it comes to traditional No. 9 options, England's pool looks thin. Leeds United's Dominic Calvert-Lewin has impressed with 17 goals in 40 Premier League matches since his move last summer, but concerns about his finishing efficiency and his age — 29 — make him an unlikely long-term successor. Beyond him, options dry up quickly: only Liam Delap and Chuba Akpom have scored in the Premier League this season among English strikers, with just one goal apiece. Remarkably, English left-backs have outscored English centre-forwards in the current campaign. Danny Welbeck, at 35, remains a stopgap at best, while Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins — now playing in Saudi Arabia — have fallen out of recent selection.
Given the lack of ready-made alternatives, Tuchel could instead opt to abandon a traditional striker altogether, a method he used successfully at Chelsea with Kai Havertz operating as a false nine. Spain have had similar success deploying converted wide players like Mikel Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres as forwards, and Newcastle's Anthony Gordon — who has experience leading the line and scored three times during the recent international break — could be an option in that mould.
Further down the pipeline, promising young strikers are beginning to emerge. Aston Villa's 17-year-old Brian Madjo impressed during pre-season, including a goal against Paris Saint-Germain, though he is only now returning from a lengthy injury layoff. Middlesbrough's Will Lankshear, a product of the same Tottenham academy that produced Kane, has scored eight goals in 11 Championship appearances this season. Manchester City's Divin Mubama, on loan at Southampton, and young talents like Dom Ballard and Josh Coburn are also being tracked for the future.
For now, though, Kane shows no sign of slowing down — and has even pointed to Lionel Messi's longevity as inspiration for playing on. "As you see on the other end with Leo there, he's still performing at the highest level," Kane said after England's World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina. "So I never want to put a limit on these things."
Tuchel, for his part, seems content to let the solution reveal itself over time rather than force it. "There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry," he said. "We will find a solution when it comes to it but maybe not me. It might be another 10 years."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.