Prince of Wales and Peter Shilton honour Harry Kane on record England appearance

The Prince of Wales led the celebrations for Harry Kane becoming England’s most-capped men’s player on Thursday.

Kane represented his country for the 126th time when Croatia visited Wembley for the Nations League match, moving one cap clear of Peter Shilton.

The goalkeeper, who had previously held the record since 1989, was also present at Wembley as Kane’s achievement was recognised ahead of kick-off.

William, who is the patron of the Football Association and a keen England fan, presented Kane with a commemorative shirt with 126 on the back.

Shilton earlier presented him with a plaque to mark the occasion.

Kane’s recent Ballon d’Or win was also celebrated at Wembley, with the Bayern Munich striker parading his trophy before the match began.

The 33-year-old became the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001 when he was crowned at a lavish ceremony in London last month.

A giant fan banner was unfurled in front of the England fans as the country’s greatest goalscorer was recognised.

Kane’s former Tottenham team-mate Luka Modric, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, presented Kane with a gift from the Croatia Football Federation before kick-off to mark his achievements.

England boss Thomas Tuchel wrote in his programme notes: “It’s the perfect place to celebrate Harry Kane and his recent achievements.

“There’s something quite poetic about the fact that almost a week or so after he was named England’s first Ballon d’Or winner for over 25 years, he’s now on the cusp of becoming the country’s all-time record caps holder. It’s so special not just for Harry but for all of us.

“He has had a very special few weeks and the scary thing is, he is getting better and better, and even more influential.

“Winning the Ballon d’Or and becoming the all-time appearance record holder are both huge achievements, and I think it’s really important that he gets to celebrate these moments in front of our fans – because everyone should be proud.

“Harry is humble, and he is very aware that everything is a team effort. He is a true leader and a true team player, which makes our number nine very special.

“So, he deserves all the credit, and hopefully he keeps on doing what he does best… scoring goals for us.

“I should add that I am very excited about the person presenting Harry with his award tonight. Peter Shilton, England’s record caps holder until now, was one of my heroes.

“When I played football in the garden I always pretended to be fancy names that no one else knew. So, when I was in goal, I was sometimes Peter Shilton. He’s an absolute legend, and for him to hand over the record is amazing for Harry, and just shows you the magnitude of the achievement.”

Former England boss Roy Hodgson, who gave Kane his first cap 11 years ago, was also in the crowd.