Former England captain Terry Butcher has likened Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane to 1966 World Cup-winning skipper Bobby Moore after the striker broke the nation’s all-time appearance record. Following Thursday’s milestone outing against Croatia at Wembley, the ex-defender has backed the forward to lead the Three Lions to Euro 2028 glory.
Former skipper hails record-breaking striker
Butcher believes the 33-year-old striker commands the same respect as England’s only World Cup-winning captain and can end the country’s major trophy wait on home soil in two years’ time. Present at Wembley on Thursday to collect his own legacy cap, the former centre-back watched Kane celebrate his recent Ballon d’Or triumph by becoming England’s most-capped men’s player. The forward marked the occasion by converting the winning penalty in a 2-1 UEFA Nations League victory over Croatia.
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Model professional leads by example
Speaking to the Press Association about Kane’s leadership and longevity ahead of the 2028 finals co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland from June 9 to July 9, Butcher said: “I think he is terrific. He’s playing some of the best football of his career now. He’s relaxed, he’s fit, he looks strong, he’s got a fantastic attitude. He’s looked after by really nice people.
“He lives the right way, behaves the right way, plays the right way. He’s a model professional. For me, he just resembles Bobby Moore in terms of how people look up to him.
“He is a different type of player to me, he’s a striker, and I was a centre back and most people prefer someone at the back or in midfield to be captain, but he leads by example. He does the right things and he’s someone that has a strong mentality. He’s someone that wants it and well respected.
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“He’s still got life in him, we still want him to get more caps, we still want him to get more goals. The World Cup might be just too far away, but the Euros are certainly within the realms of possibility that he can captain England there. I certainly hope so.”
Home tournament offers golden opportunity
After reaching the last two European Championship finals and claiming bronze at this summer’s World Cup – their third semi-final since 1966 following the 1990 run when Butcher wore the armband – the ex-defender feels only a mental barrier remains: “It is a mentality in terms of we’ve been there before and we haven’t got over, but you’ve got to just dismiss that.
“There’s a big hump or a big chasm, once you get over that, you’re on the other side, it’s like, ‘wow, this is the promised land.’ But I think I think they’re well placed [to win it]. It’d be great to be at home, in front of our home crowd and it’s perfectly set up for us to do that now. We’ve got to take advantage of that.”
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Madrid showdown provides stern test
Before looking towards 2028, Thomas Tuchel’s side face what Butcher views as a “litmus test” when they visit World Cup winners Spain on Sunday. Already assured of a spot in March’s Nations League quarter-finals after beating Croatia, England will snatch top spot in their group if they end La Roja’s long unbeaten run in Madrid. A statement victory in the Spanish capital would cap off a memorable year and build vital belief.
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