5 English Strikers in different eras, their caps and goals
WHO REALLY SCORES WHEN IT MATTERS FOR ENGLAND?
Harry Kane has scored 4 goals against Germany, one of those came in a 2-0 victory in the
Euro 21 second round. He also scored twice against the Ukraine in the quarter finals and against Denmark in the semi getting England to the final.
He was on the scoresheet against France in the 2022 World Cup quarter final and a key goal came against Holland in the 2024 Euro semi. However, a lot of his goals have come in qualifiers versus second and third rate teams.
His 6 goals in the 2018 World Cup came in the earlier stages – 2 goals against Tunisia followed by a hat-trick against Panama in the groups then a goal against Columbia in the last 16.
He petered out in the later stages, hopefully it will be different this time. 112 caps 78 goals.
Alan Shearer scored against France on his England debut in February 1992. His highlight was the 5 goals in Euro 96 which included 2 versus Holland in the groups, a great team performance and a goal against Germany in the semi-final.
He scored twice against Portugal in an April 98 friendly and against Argentina in the 98 World Cup round of 16.
He also netted against Belgium in an October 99 friendly and scored against Germany in a 1-0 win in the Euro 2000 group match. 63 caps 30 goals.
Jimmy Greaves scored goals against Spain, Italy, Brazil, Holland and Hungary who were then a much stronger team in 1965.
He scored against Argentina in the 1962 World Cup group match but only played in the 1966 group matches not the crunch matches and without scoring.
He was on the bench for 2 Euro 1968 games, the semis against Yugoslavia and the 3rd place play-off against USSR. 57 caps 44 goals.
Gary Lineker scored against Argentina in the 1986 World Cup quarter finals and finished the tournament with 6 goals.
He scored 4 more against Spain in 1987 and a goal against Brazil the same year in a 1-1 draw. He also found the net against Germany and Holland and in 1990 scored against Brazil again in a 1-0 home win plus of course the leveller with Germany in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, one of four goals in the tournament. Goals in 1992 came against France and CIS.
80 caps 48 goals.
Michael Owen scored against Romania and a superb solo goal against Argentina in the last 16 of the 1998 World Cup.
He also scored against Brazil in February 2000 in a 1-1 draw then a goal against Romania in the 2000 Euros groups and against France in a September 2000 friendly.
Then came a hat-trick in a World Cup qualifier 5-1 demolition of Germany the following September and he scored twice in the 2002 World Cup in Japan; against Denmark in the round of 16 and gave England the lead in the quarter final with Brazil.
Owen also scored in the Euro 2004 quarter final with Portugal and got 2 goals against Argentina in a friendly at the end of 2005.
He only played in the 2006 World Cup group games and did not score. 2 goals against Russia in a 2007 European qualifier and his final game for England came in March 2008 in a 1-0 defeat to France, France centre forward David Trezeguet also played his last game for France that day. 89 caps 40 goals.
Steve Billingham
