Harry Kane becomes first Englishman to reach 500 career goals

England captain Harry Kane etched his name into the record books on Saturday, becoming the first Englishman to reach 500 professional goals for club and country.

The Bayern Munich striker reached the milestone with a first-half brace in a 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday, restoring Bayern’s six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga table.

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Kane, already the highest-scoring Englishman after surpassing Jimmy Greaves’ tally of 474 goals in December, continues to enjoy a remarkable season. He now has 26 goals in just 22 Bundesliga appearances, and it is only February.

Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Mainz on Friday had cut Bayern’s lead to three points, but the champions responded emphatically in Bremen. Leon Goretzka added a third goal in the 70th minute to seal a comfortable win.

Kane has scored 41 goals in all competitions this season, 13 of them from the penalty spot. His second strike against Bremen brought up the 500-goal landmark for club and country.

“500 is a great number; a lot of hard work and dedication has gone into it,” Kane said.

“All I can say is thanks to all of my teammates and managers over the years, and I look forward to the next 50, the next 100.”

Bayern were without suspended winger Michael Olise for the first time in 89 matches since his arrival from Crystal Palace in 2024.

Bremen kept the league leaders at bay early on, but Kane opened the scoring after 22 minutes, converting a penalty following a VAR review that confirmed a foul on Lennart Karl.

It marked the third consecutive match in which Kane had put Bayern ahead from the penalty spot. He doubled the lead three minutes later, guiding a low shot in off the right post from the edge of the area.

Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was substituted at half-time due to a recurrence of a calf injury, although sporting director Max Eberl described it as “nothing dramatic” and a “precautionary measure.”

Marco Gruell struck the post for Bremen shortly after the break, but Goretzka’s composed finish with 20 minutes remaining ensured Bayern maintained control and secured all three points.