England face Lithuania at Wembley this evening in the next of their European Championship qualifiers, looking to cement their place at the top of group E with their fifth consecutive victory. Much of the attention heading into the game has been focused on man of the moment Harry Kane, who is expected to make his debut following a brilliant run of form at Tottenham.
The youngster bagged a hat-trick against Leicester last weekend before joining up with the senior squad for the first time, and it would be no surprise to see him continue his tremendous goal-scoring record on the international stage later today.
In doing so Kane can join an elite – or not so – group of players who have scored on their first appearance for the Three Lions. While some went on to achieve great success for their country, others were not so fortunate. Kane will no doubt be aiming to avoid the latter.
Here are SEVEN names, some more familiar than others, who have produced goal-scoring debuts for England:
Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lambert enjoyed a dream England debut in August 2013 as he scored the winner against fierce rivals Scotland in a thrilling encounter at Wembley. The 31-year-old Southampton striker made an instant impact after his introduction as a substitute, firing home a bullet header with his first touch in international football.
His fine header helped England to a 3-2 victory over the Scots, and kick-started a season that would see him make the World Cup squad the following summer. Not bad ey!
Andros Townsend
Two months after Lambert’s exploits, Andros Townsend was the latest to join the debut scorers club after he netted in a 4-1 victory over Montenegro. A surprise inclusion in Roy Hodgson’s starting 11 that night, the Spurs winger repaid the faith shown in him by putting in a man-of-the-match performance to help his side take a giant step towards qualification for Brazil.
Townsend set up Rooney for the first, before firing a sweet strike from distance to score England’s third.
Unfortunately for Townsend and England, injury later that season ruled him out of the World Cup squad, and as we know it was all downhill from there for the Three Lions.
Glenn Hoddle
Former England midfielder Glenn Hoddle went on to become one of England’s finest players after his debut goal against in Bulgaria in 1979. Hoddle scored in a 2-0 victory at Wembley, before going on to become a key part of the national team in the 1970s and 80s.
A career that saw him play for Monaco, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, was later followed by a spell in charge of England, as he took them to the 1998 World Cup in France.
Alan Shearer
Retired England No. 9 Alan Shearer was another whose debut goal was just the start of a fine international career. After his strike in a 2-0 friendly win over France back in 1992, Shearer went on score 30 goals for the Three Lions as he appeared in three major tournaments.
A Premier League winner with Blackburn Rovers, Shearer then moved to Newcastle where he earned legendary status as he became the club’s all-time top scorer with 206 goals for the Toon Army.
Darius Vassell
Darius Vassell made an instant impact on his international debut after scoring a bicycle kick against Holland in a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam. Vassell went on to make England’s squad for the 2002 World Cup, appearing 3 times before the team’s exit to Brazil.
Unfortunately he will often be remembered for his penalty miss against Portugal in Euro 2004, allowing Ricardo to dump England out the competition. Vassell never appeared for England again, and was released by Leicester City in 2012 after his contract expired following a severe knee injury.
Francis Jeffers
Francis Jeffers enjoyed a promising start to his England career as he scored in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Australia back in 2003.Jeffers shared a debut with Wayne Rooney, but that’s where the similarities end.
While Rooney has gone on to enjoy a great career with Manchester United while establishing himself as an England regular, Jeffers never played for England again. The one cap wonder finished his professional career at League Two side Accrington Stanley which came to an end in 2013.
David Nugent
David Nugent can boast a 100% record in England colours after his solitary goal came on his debut back in 2007. Those who can recall their victory over Andorra will remember Nugent’s cheeky tap-in pinching the credit from a Jermain Defoe strike that was set to cross the line.
Now involved in a relegation battle with Leicester City, that remains his only England cap to date, and it will more than likely remain that way.
