Where would England be without Harry Kane?

With every record he breaks and landmark he passes, the question becomes increasingly difficult to tackle. But, now aged 33, there is a growing need for an answer.

The Bayern Munich striker became his nation’s joint-highest appearance-maker on Tuesday at Wembley, netting twice in the 3-0 win over Czechia, taking his tally to 91 goals in 125 caps.

He is arguably in the form of his life. He won a league and cup double with Bayern last term – scoring 61 goals in 51 games for the German giants in 2025-26 – and he’s among the favourites for the Ballon d’Or.

However, when the next European Championship kicks off in the summer of 2028, Kane will be 35. Alternatives and eventual replacements will surely be on the mind of whoever is at the helm then.

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

So what are England’s options in a world without him? Is the answer already in front of us – or could it be someone yet to even emerge?

Tuchel seems to think England may have an option within their ranks already in the guise of fellow superstar Jude Bellingham.

He shrugged off question marks over his place in the team ahead of the World Cup to quickly become a rival to Kane as England’s most influential player.

“I like him as a nine,” Tuchel admitted ahead of England’s 7-0 win over 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.

The German has certainly helped Bellingham add a productive edge to his game.

Since the start of the 2026 World Cup, the Real Madrid star has netted 10 times in 12 matches for England, having scored six times in the 48 games beforehand.

BBC Radio 5 Live’s senior football reporter Ian Dennis said: “The person who is going to replace Kane has already emerged – and that’s Jude Bellingham.

“We have seen it at times, when they play that false nine, Bellingham can go into that advanced role. He will also eclipse Kane in terms of appearances. This is a player who will continue to go from strength to strength.”

At Real Madrid, Bellingham played frequently as a false nine in his first season for the club, with Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo offering penetration from the wide positions.

It was Bellingham’s most productive season for Real Madrid, with the numbers indicating just how much of an all-round package he’s developed into now.

In a similar style, so much of Kane’s good work for England comes from dropping deep, operating as a playmaker and then surging into the box to finish chances.

If England want another player who can straddle the No. 9 and No. 10 positions simultaneously, then Bellingham could be their best fit.

And, with the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, there are no shortage of options to fill the Bellingham role.

However former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson said on 5 Live: “He is not a nine, Bellingham plays off others.

“I do think if England are going to play this system – and remember Kane has a long time left – I don’t see Bellingham as the out and out number nine.”

In terms of natural centre-forward replacements for Kane, England do not have much depth.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has made a case to be Kane’s back-up. He has 17 goals in 40 Premier League appearances since moving to Leeds United last summer.

However, there is a sense that Calvert-Lewin is not a dependable finisher – he underperformed by 2.13 in terms of xG in the Premier League last season – while at 29 he is not a long-term solution to Kane.

Away from the Leeds striker, there are not many centre-forwards making a case.

The only other English strikers to score in the Premier League so far this season are Nottingham Forest’s Liam Delap, rebuilding his career after a difficult spell at Chelsea, and Ipswich Town’s Chuba Akpom, who both have one goal each.

Across the 2026-27 season, English left-backs, with six, have more goals than English centre-forwards, with five.

Danny Welbeck was pushing for a recall last season with 13 Premier League goals but at the age of 35, his time is likely to have passed and he is certainly no long-term solution.

Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins, previously considered by Tuchel, are both playing their football in the Saudi Pro League and were both left out of the most recent squad. Both are also already into their thirties.

If England do have an issue at centre-forward due to a Kane injury or suspension – or his eventual retirement – they could always opt to play without one.

Tuchel has used the tactic before, with Kai Havertz often deployed at the point of the attack during his time as Chelsea boss. Havertz scored 10 goals in the 33 league games in which he was used as a centre-forward by Tuchel.

A more fluid system has also been used to great effect by world and European champions Spain, who have deployed converted wingers Mikel Oyarzabal and Ferran Torres as strikers.

Anthony Gordon, who scored three times during the international break, could fit that particular bill. The winger was used as a striker by Newcastle United late last season and had success in the Champions League, netting 10 times in 12 appearances overall.

There are some intriguing centre-forward options coming through.

Aston Villa’s 17-year-old striker Brian Madjo scored five goals in pre-season for Villa, including one in the UEFA Super Cup against European champions Paris Saint-Germain, bullying the elite centre-back duo of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho throughout.

Madjo has been sidelined for seven weeks since that game because of injury, but he is close to making a first-team return after appearing in a friendly against Sevilla during the international break.

In the Championship, 21-year-old Will Lankshear – a Tottenham academy graduate like Kane – has hit the ground running for Middlesbrough with eight goals in 11 appearances for his new club.

Man City’s Divin Mubama, on loan at Southampton, has scored five goals in 10 European under-21 Championship qualifiers, while the likes of Bristol City’s Dom Ballard and Millwall’s Josh Coburn are seen as young strikers with huge potential.

And Kane could yet give them time to develop having been inspired by the longevity of the newly retired Lionel Messi.

“As you see on the other end with Leo there, he’s still performing at the highest level,” Kane said after England’s semi-final loss to Argentina in the summer. “So I never want to put a limit on these things.”

England supporters will hope so. So will Tuchel. That way, the Kane conundrum is likely to be passed on to one of his successors.

“There will be someone else, but it will not be Harry or a copy of Harry,” Tuchel added. “We will find a solution when it comes to it but maybe not me. It might be another 10 years.”