England's patience paid off, says Kane

England captain Harry Kane was pleased with this evening’s outcome as the Three Lions beat Latvia 3-0 on home turf to make it two wins from two in 2025 in their European qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The striker found the back of the net in the second half to make it 71 goals in 105 appearances for his country, moving level with Billy Wright in the all-time caps list in the process.

“There were definitely more patterns of play, more chances, more creative opportunities but it was tough,” reflected Kane. “We're playing against a team where it's 11 behind the ball and they try to make it difficult and we have to use the wide players.

“The guys coming off the bench I thought made a good impact and we can be pleased with two wins and two clean sheets as well.”

After seeing the net ripple in the 68th minute, Kane celebrated with team-mate Declan Rice, who set up his strike, in the aftermath.

And England’s all-time top goalscorer – who marks a decade since making his senior debut for the Three Lions later this month – analysed the performance and his goal, which doubled the home side’s lead at Wembley.

“We spoke about those areas in the box outside the width of the goal and where the assists come from,” said Kane. “We had to be patient, there were times we used the wide players and got numbers in the box.

“Dec thought he could make a difference with that run and he did and he put a great ball into the box.”

The 31 year old also gave credit to Reece James who marked his England return with a spectacular goal which came on 38 minutes from a set piece.

“The way Reece hits the ball has a lot of topspin,” added Kane. “We were seeing him shoot in training yesterday and to be fair the ball was quite far out but I watched it back there and it had incredible precision, power and he just gets that lift on the ball. What a fantastic goal.”

And the Three Lions skipper explained just how much he is enjoying playing under new boss Thomas Tuchel at international level, having previously worked with the England head coach at Bayern Munich.

“He's fantastic,” said Kane. “He has settled in straight away and it's a real pleasure to have him as the coach. The energy he has brought, the passion and tactical analysis he has brought in every game has been top drawer.

“It's the first camp and we know we'll get better as we go but I think he's pleased and we're pleased to have him.”