Thomas Tuchel admits England will never find another Harry Kane | OneFootball

Thomas Tuchel believes England will never find a direct replacement for Harry Kane as the striker continues to extend his remarkable international scoring record.

Kane scored his 87th England goal in Tuesday’s 2-0 Nations League victory over Czechia, adding the second after Anthony Gordon had broken the deadlock in Prague.

The Bayern Munich striker is now only 13 goals away from becoming the first England player to reach 100, having accumulated his current total across 123 senior appearances.

Kane turned 33 in July, but Tuchel does not believe England can simply identify another striker capable of replicating his contribution when the captain eventually steps away.

“You will not get another Harry Kane, first of all,” Tuchel said. “We look for different options and solutions.

“There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry.”

One potential solution was demonstrated late against Czechia when Jude Bellingham moved into the centre-forward position after Kane was substituted.

Tuchel has previously used Bellingham in advanced roles and believes the Real Madrid midfielder possesses qualities which could allow England to use him as an unconventional No.9.

However, there appears to be little immediate need to replace Kane, whose latest finish continued an exceptional period for club and country.

The striker scored 61 times in all competitions for Bayern last season as the German club won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, with Kane describing it as the best campaign of his career.

Tuchel, who was Bayern manager when Kane arrived from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023, believes his former player has also developed into an increasingly complete forward.

He highlighted Kane’s work ethic in England training alongside his finishing ability, describing the captain as the “complete package”.

Kane’s consistency has even left Tuchel joking that his succession could become somebody else’s responsibility if the striker continues playing for another decade.

England’s immediate focus is instead on maximising their captain’s remaining years as they continue their Nations League campaign against Croatia on Saturday.

For Tuchel, the eventual challenge will not be finding the next Kane, but constructing an attack capable of succeeding without attempting to reproduce a player he considers irreplaceable.