Shilton ready to move on from Hand of God, backs Kane to beat his caps record

Forty years on from the most infamous moment of his career, Peter Shilton says he is finally ready to leave the Hand of God behind him. The former England goalkeeper, now 76, has opened up on the 1986 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Argentina as Thomas Tuchel’s side prepare to return to the Estadio Azteca cauldron of Mexico City for the first time since that fateful night.

Shilton recalls the sequence in vivid detail even now. Midfielder Steve Hodge attempted to clear the ball but only managed to hoof it high into the air, straight back towards his own goalkeeper. With Shilton standing at six foot against the 5ft 5in Diego Maradona, everyone inside the stadium expected the England number one to claim it comfortably.

Instead, the ball ended up in the back of the net. It initially appeared that Maradona had headed the ball home, though replays would later show the Argentine had clearly steered it in with a clenched fist, giving birth to the phrase “Hand of God” that has followed both men ever since.

Kane to beat his record

Shilton, who remains England’s most capped player of all time, has said he wants Harry Kane to surpass his caps record. His comments come after Kane’s heroics for England at the 2026 World Cup, with the striker having been described elsewhere in the Daily Mail’s coverage as now standing among the greatest players ever to wear the Three Lions shirt.

England are due to face Mexico in a last-16 tie in Mexico City, a fixture that will inevitably draw comparisons with 1986 given the venue. Shilton’s willingness to move past the Hand of God controversy comes at a fitting moment, as a new generation of England players prepare to test themselves in the same stadium where his career was defined by that single moment forty years ago.

Praise for Pickford

The former goalkeeper also gave his verdict on the current England number one, Jordan Pickford, describing him as the best goalkeeper the country has produced since Shilton himself. It is high praise from a man who won 125 caps for England and is widely regarded as one of the finest keepers of his generation.

Pickford has established himself as a mainstay of Tuchel’s squad throughout the tournament and will be expected to play a key role as England look to progress past Mexico and continue their push for World Cup glory in 2026.

Read more: World Cup 2026: England set up Mexico City last-16 showdown with co-hosts