England's Top Scorers at the European Championships

This year will mark the 58th year since the World Cup triumph of 1966 for England and this summer will present another opportunity and perhaps Gareth Southgate’s final one for England to break the tournament curse finally.

England this summer are many bookmakers’ favourites to win the competition for the first time in our nation’s history, with SkyBet placing the Three Lions @3/1 ahead of France in second place and Germany in third.

This summer Gareth Southgate will have one of the best assembled squads on paper since the Golden Generation, with plenty of options in defence and attack to provide a balanced squad. England will be hoping to go one better than their last performance in the European Championships.

In the previously delayed tournament, England reached the final but couldn’t find a winning edge against an experienced Italy side and ultimately lost on penalties at Wembley. This summer there is a sense of expectation that this England team should be delivering their first tournament victory since 1966. England boast one of the best attacking selections heading into this tournament. Harry Kane will be hoping to continue the fine goalscoring form of his predecessors if England are to have any success this summer.

Here is a look at five of England’s top scorers at the European Championships:

Football returned home for the first time since 1966 as England hosted the European Championships, 30 years on from their only success in a major international tournament.

The hopes were certainly high for the hosts as a football euphoria swept the nation. England boasted some formidable strikers in the 1990’s with Les Ferdinand, Teddy Sheringham, Robbie Fowler, and two years from this tournament an emerging Michael Owen.

Alan Shearer was England’s leading striker up to this tournament, having won consecutive golden boots in the Premier League for Blackburn Rovers, which also included a Premier League medal for the Lancashire club.

Shearer continued his form into that tournament finishing on five goals overall, which is a tournament record for an English striker. Shearer became the first England striker since Gary Lineker to score five or more at a major tournament. Shearer is the all-time leading goal scorer for England in the European Championships, having scored a further two at Euro 2000 – taking his tally to seven.

Wayne Rooney was already making a name for himself in the Premier League, after he burst onto the scene with that wonderful goal against Arsenal for Everton in 2002. It was Euro 2004 where the world stage truly saw the talents of the young striker.

Rooney was brought into the squad at aged 18 by Sven Goran-Eriksson to play alongside recognised striker Michael Owen. Rooney displayed a commanding performance against France in the opening game for England was unlucky not to be on the winning side as England fell to a late defeat.

Despite the defeat, the talk was solely focused on Wayne Rooney. Rooney scored his first goals at a major tournament in their second group game, when he scored a brace against Switzerland. Rooney became the youngest scorer in the competition’s history, until four days later where Johan Volanthen broke the record for Switzerland.

Rooney added two more goals in the final group game against Croatia and was subsequently named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament. Rooney has six goals in the European Championships, scoring in 2012 and 2016.

England’s chances will be resting on the shoulders of their captain Harry Kane this summer; however, the former Tottenham Hotspur man will be hoping to make it four consecutive international tournaments where he has been able to get on the scoresheet.

The Bayern Munich striker already has four goals from his only appearance in the European Championships. In Euro 2020, the England captain didn’t score until the knockout phase when he scored the second goal against Germany in front of a partially filled Wembley crowd.

Harry Kane followed this up with two goals in the next round against Ukraine in England’s only game away from Wembley. Then he sealed the winner in the semi-final against Denmark when he followed up his own missed penalty to score the rebound past Kasper Schmeichel.

Although Wayne Rooney captured the attention in Euro 2004, Frank Lampard also had a fine debut tournament in Portugal that year. Frank Lampard had just started to make himself a regular in the side before the tournament, alongside Steven Gerrard in that England midfield.

Lampard was emerging as one of the best midfielders in Europe, thanks to his club-level performances for Chelsea. The Chelsea legend finished Euro 2004 superbly with three goals in four games, including goals against France and Croatia.

Lampard equalised in the quarter-final against Portugal as England ultimately lost on penalties. The Chelsea man was subsequently named in the team of the tournament and interestingly this was the only international tournament Frank Lampard scored in.

Raheem Sterling might be missing out on the European Championships this summer because of his league form and with other options seemingly ahead of him, but the former Manchester City forward was the sole reason why England moved out of the groups last time out.

The current Chelsea man contributed massively to England’s campaign by scoring the only goal against Croatia in their opening game. He followed this up by scoring the only goal in the last remaining group game against the Czech Republic.

Sterling then scored the opening goal in the second-round tie against Germany, as well as winning the penalty in Extra-Time against Denmark in the semi-final. Harry Kane followed up his rebound to send England to the final.

Harry Kane continues to contribute obscenely great numbers for his club this season. The Bayern Munich striker has 54 goal contributions across the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League this season and he could potentially have a Champions League final at Wembley to contend with this season.

Harry Kane has broken all sorts of records this season in Germany, however he could be casting one eye on breaking Alan Shearer’s goal tally in the European Championships.

The former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker currently holds seven goals in this tournament from two competition appearances overall. Kane has only made one competition appearance thus far and has four goals to his name already.

Harry Kane isn’t just the only England player tipped for goals this summer, with Jude Bellingham also tipped to make an impact. Bellingham has enjoyed a stellar campaign with Real Madrid, and he could end the season with a league and European double if Real Madrid wins the UEFA Champions League.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has 29 goal contributions across 34 domestic and European games.