Harry Kane's Place Among England’s Top Scorers Excluding Penalties
Harry Kane holds the record as England’s leading goal scorer with 65 goals. He overtook Wayne Rooney's previous record by netting a penalty against Italy during the Euro 2024 qualifiers in March 2023.
Ranking England’s Scorers Without Penalties
Although Kane leads with 65 goals overall, 21 of those came from penalties, leaving him with 44 goals scored in open play. This changes his position when considering only non-penalty goals.
England’s Top Scorers Without Penalties
- Bobby Charlton: 46 non-penalty goals. Charlton scored 49 goals in 106 matches, with just three from penalties, making him the top non-penalty scorer.
- Wayne Rooney: 46 non-penalty goals. Out of 53 total goals, seven were penalties. Rooney ranks joint-first in non-penalty goals but second overall behind Kane.
- Gary Lineker: 44 non-penalty goals. Lineker netted 48 times with four penalties included, placing him third among non-penalty scorers.
- Harry Kane: 44 non-penalty goals. Despite 21 penalty goals, Kane’s 44 open-play goals place him alongside Lineker in this category.
A penalty is generally given an expected goal (xG) value of 0.76, reflecting its high likelihood to result in a goal. Kane has taken 25 penalties for England, scoring 21 and missing four.
Legacy and Future Prospects
Even if we exclude penalties, Harry Kane remains a major figure in England's scoring history, matching some legendary names. As Tottenham’s record scorer, he sets a high bar for future generations of England players.
