Moeen Ali has confirmed he has "officially unretired" and is available for the England Test side after a conversation with coach Brendon McCullum.

Moeen announced his retirement from the five-day game last September after struggling to maintain focus in red-ball outings and enjoying shorter-format cricket.

The 34-year-old mustered 2,914 Test runs at an average of 28.3 and collected 195 wickets at 36.7, including a hat-trick against South Africa at The Oval in 2017.

Only James Anderson and Stuart Broad managed more Test wickets for England during Moeen's time in the side, while the off-spinner ranked 12th for dismissals in the world in that same period.

Stokes has since been appointed captain as the successor to Joe Root, partnering with coach McCullum, who replaced Chris Silverwood after his dismissal.

That had led to suggestions of a potential Test return for white-ball star Jos Buttler and also Moeen, who acknowledged on Saturday he would be open to the idea of featuring again, adding "never say never".

Moeen then followed that up on Sunday by confirming, after a conversation with McCullum, he is available for selection as he eyes the Pakistan Test tour for a three-match series in September.

"I spoke to McCullum this morning, and we did discuss Pakistan this winter," he said on BBC's Test Match Special. "The door is always open, and yeah, I suppose I am officially unretired.

"He is a very difficult person to say no to. I find that very, very hard. He is very convincing and to be honest I would love to play under him and Ben Stokes.

"They are both very aggressive and I think I would suit their cricket a bit more. At the time I said I was retired I felt like I was done. I felt really tired with cricket."

Italy head coach Robert Mancini admitted he is surprised by his inexperienced side's start to the Nations League following their 0-0 draw with England on Saturday.

Without midfield lynchpin Marco Verratti and the likes of Federico Chiesa and Andrea Belotti, the Azzurri put in an encouraging performance in Saturday's Euro 2020 final rematch, earning a point at the Molineux Stadium.

With the majority of the squad earning less than ten caps before this international window, Italy lead Group 3 after three games on five points, ahead of Hungary, Germany and England, who are bottom of the group on two points.

While conceding Italy are in early stages of transition after their failure to qualify for the World Cup, Mancini revealed he expected this initial period to be more volatile.

"I’ll be honest, I did not expect this. I thought it would be worse," he confessed. "We still have a lot to work on, there’s a long road ahead full of dangers.

"We certainly need to score more goals and if Davide Frattesi had scored in the opening five minutes, it would’ve been a different game. He’ll get it next time.

"I didn’t expect us to do so well in these three weeks together. It’s important that we haven’t changed our style of football, even when the personnel did."

With relative experience compared to the new faces in the squad, Lorenzo Pellegrini has had to take on more responsibility for the Azzurri following their loss to Argentina in the UEFA/CONMEBOL Finalissima, scoring against Germany and Hungary.

More of a threat in the penalty area from midfield than a technical and creative fulcrum, the 25-year-old earned a third consecutive start on Saturday – something he had not done since 2018.

The Roma captain was praised for his versatility by his coach despite evident room for improvement.

“Pellegrini has his own style of football," Mancini said. "He’s not a 10 like Giuseppe Giannini, nor a 10 like Francesco Totti.

"I think he can become much better with time, because he is so good at both attacking and defending.

"At times he loses balls he shouldn’t, but if he improves that and a couple of other things, he can become simply extraordinary.”

Gareth Southgate dismissed suggestions England's recent struggles are down to a conservative approach, instead ruing a lack of sharpness in the final third. 

England drew 0-0 with Italy on Saturday as the Three Lions were left rooted to the foot of their Nations League group with just two points from three games. 

Across the trio of matches played this month, England have scored just one goal – Harry Kane's penalty in the 1-1 draw with Germany. 

The Three Lions' performances have been widely criticised, and while they did create chances against the Azzurri, they were at times second best to a team undergoing something of a transformation. 

A common criticism of England throughout Southgate's time in charge has been that they lack an identity beyond their often pragmatic approach, but he did not want to entertain such an idea this time. 

Asked if he saw the performance as cautious, Southgate told Channel 4: "I don't see how you can really. 

"We tried to move the ball through a very good, well-organised team. We've got the ball into our forward players and we've given all of them a go, tried to refresh it because we know the state of the season we're at. 

"So, I think at the moment that little bit of sharpness in the final third isn't quite there, but I was pleased with the general performance." 

Tammy Abraham started in place of Kane in attack, with the Roma striker supported by Raheem Sterling, Mason Mount and Jack Grealish. 

While Sterling and Mount each managed three shots and Grealish laid on a game-high four key passes, Abraham mustered only two shots. 

One was a harmless off-target header and the other a wasteful finish after robbing Italy of possession inside their own area, as he scuffed wide of the right-hand post. 

Nevertheless, Southgate seemed encouraged by Abraham's display. 

"I said earlier in the week, we've been too reliant on Harry and Raheem for our goals," he continued. 

"Other players have got to step into that phase. A number of them do it for their clubs but at international level they've not managed to convert that. 

"So we've looked dangerous without getting the goals that are needed in the bigger games. 

"I thought Tammy was fine. I haven't seen that chance back from right at the start, but that's probably the one [England should have taken]. 

"We felt we needed to refresh the team when we did it [brought Abraham off] but I wasn't unhappy with Tammy's performance at all." 

England will hope to finally get their first win of their Nations League campaign on Tuesday when they host Hungary, to whom they lost in Budapest last weekend. 

England's bid to gain a measure of revenge for their Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy fell flat as the Three Lions were held to a disappointing 0-0 draw by an experimental Azzurri outfit at Molineux on Saturday.

Exactly 11 months on from Italy beating England on penalties at Wembley, Gareth Southgate's men failed to kick-start their Nations League campaign against a side who have not qualified for Qatar 2022 and were battered by Argentina in the Finalissima.

England had chances but were arguably second-best in the first half, as they were cheered on by a massively reduced crowd made up mostly by children as a consequence of the crowd trouble at last July's final.

The hosts had the better of the second period but nonetheless slumped to three successive games without a win for only the second time under Southgate.

A gripping start saw Davide Frattesi and Tammy Abraham miss presentable close-range chances, before Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped a Mason Mount effort onto the crossbar all inside the first 10 minutes.

The flurry was followed by something of a lull, but Italy threatened again just before the half-hour mark as Aaron Ramsdale produced a fine stop to thwart Sandro Tonali from point-blank range.

Italy finished the half dangerously, too. Gianluca Scamacca smashed over from eight yards and Matteo Pessina saw his drive turned over.

England should have made it 1-0 early in the second half, but Raheem Sterling failed to convert from Reece James' delivery across goal.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo then made a mess of Lorenzo Pellegrini's lofted pass into the box, neither squaring to the unmarked Scamacca nor getting a shot away, and the game ultimately petered out to a goalless draw.

Daryl Mitchell fell just shy of a double hundred and Tom Blundell scored a century as New Zealand left England with an uphill battle in the second Test.

The tourists resumed day one on 318-4 with Mitchell closing in on a century, and he went well beyond that mark to post 190, the third-highest Test score by a New Zealand player in England.

He was joined on three figures by Blundell, who reached 106 before falling to Jack Leach as England toiled.

Matthew Potts finally brought an end to Mitchell's remarkable stay at the crease as New Zealand were bowled out for 553, their highest Test score in England. The hosts lost Zak Crawley (four) early in their reply before Alex Lees (34 not out) and Ollie Pope (51 no) guided them to stumps on 90-1, trailing by 463.

Mitchell treated the Trent Bridge crowd to one of the great New Zealand Test knocks, though the shot that brought his 184-ball hundred was not one to remember as he edged Potts for four.

Potts then dropped Mitchell on 104 at long-on, allowing a regulation catch to go to the boundary. Mitchell and Blundell continued to punish England following that missed opportunity, the latter reaching his century in 191 balls.

Their stand of 236 marked New Zealand's highest fifth-wicket partnership in Tests and was eventually ended when Leach removed Blundell, though the same bowler was on the receiving end of a barrage from Mitchell after lunch.

Michael Bracewell (49) took over the supporting role, but the wickets tumbled after he fell to James Anderson, with Mitchell receiving acclaim from England players and fans upon his exit.

Crawley went to a superb Trent Boult delivery in the second over of the reply, before Mitchell committed a pair of drops at first slip, the first a simple catch that would have dismissed Lees and the second handing a reprieve to Pope, who reached a fluid 66-ball half-century with a cut through backward point.

Mitchell masters with the bat... but fumbles in the field

Mitchell spent 477 minutes at the crease, hitting 23 fours and four sixes, but he may have been thinking more about his sub-par efforts in the slips as the teams left the field. New Zealand will hope his drops do not facilitate England denying them victory.

Crawley crumbles again

Crawley could not do much about a peach of a delivery from Boult. However, he continues to struggle opening the batting in 2022. It is now six single-figure scores in his past nine Test innings.

Gareth Southgate says he "will not outstay" his welcome as England manager as he once again hit back at criticism over his team selections.

England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, the final four of the Nations League in 2019 and were runners-up at last year's Euro 2020.

Yet despite that, there have been continued calls for Southgate to adopt a more attacking approach by fielding the likes of Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold more often.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Nations League clash with Italy at a behind-closed-doors Molineux, however, Southgate refuted the idea that he is not gung-ho enough. 

"I've got to find a balance because I don't want to sit and be defensive, but some people have managed teams and others haven't," he said. 

"Until you've managed teams, you have a different view of the game. 

"What's needed to win football matches are the sorts of things [Mason] Mount did on [Joshua] Kimmich that allows other things to happen. 

"For the man that comes and stands on the terrace and pays his money, I totally understand he wants to see a Grealish with a [Raheem] Sterling with a [Bukayo] Saka. 

"But you've got to have a balance of the team, this is top-level football."

Southgate was appointed permanent England boss in November 2016 and signed a new deal seven months ago that runs through until the end of 2024.

"I've got to manage in the way I see fit. I won't outstay my welcome but I think I can do a good job for the team, and I think we've done a good job for the team," he added. 

"I think we'll continue to improve the team, which we've done over a consistent period of time, and we're also developing young players that will leave England in a good place."

England followed up a 1-0 loss to Hungary with a 1-1 draw away at Germany in their opening two Nations League matches.

Only once before, between July and September 2018, have the Three Lions failed to win three in a row under Southgate.

Asked why he felt the need to bring up his future, Southgate said: "If you look back, I've always said it. 

"I am not going to be here forever, am I? There will be another England manager… that's how I have always felt about it. 

"The major part of that is how the players are. Do I still feel the players give everything and respond to what we do? Yes, I do."

Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell's unbroken partnership of 149 put New Zealand in a commanding position on day one of the second Test with England.

With the tourists missing captain Kane Williamson due to a positive test for COVID-19, England elected to field at Trent Bridge, but were eventually made to regret that decision.

Each of the Black Caps' top four batsmen failed to build on positive starts and the hosts may have had hope of quickly getting into the New Zealand tail when they were reduced to 169-4.

But Mitchell (81 not out) - a centurion in the first Test at Lord's - and the similarly in-form Blundell (67 not out) turned the game firmly in favour of New Zealand, who closed on 318-4.

Stand-in skipper Tom Latham (26) and Will Young (47) laid a solid foundation for the tourists with an 84-run opening partnership.

England had toiled in search of a breakthrough and when it came, it was quickly followed by a second as Young was caught at second slip and Latham pulled James Anderson to midwicket.

Henry Nicholls (30) and Devon Conway (46) somewhat replicated the performances of the openers. Ben Stokes broke up their 77-run stand when he had Nicholls caught behind and Conway fell in the same way to Anderson.

Yet there was no further joy for England in their increasingly desperate search for wickets. The hosts wasted reviews and both Mitchell and Blundell enjoyed largely serene progress, significantly boosting New Zealand's hopes of setting up a third-Test decider at Headingley.

Another Mitchell-Blundell masterclass

Mitchell and Blundell produced the second-highest partnership by a New Zealand pair in England in the Black Caps' defeat at Lord's, putting on 195.

They are on track to go beyond that after impressing in Nottingham, both again surpassing 50 with the former 19 runs shy of a second successive century.

Broad blunted

It is a little under seven years since Stuart Broad's remarkable 8-15 against Australia at Trent Bridge. He might not remember this Test at his home ground with fondness if he cannot improve on his day-one efforts, the frontline seamer providing little threat in recording figures of 0-74.

England can look forward to a bright future as Gareth Southgate's Three Lions bid for World Cup glory in Qatar, according to Antonio Rudiger.

The new Real Madrid defender got a first-hand look at the Euro 2020 runners-up when Germany were held to a 1-1 Nations League draw in Munich on Tuesday.

It was the hosts who had the majority of possession but Harry Kane's late penalty – his 50th international goal – sealed a point for Southgate's men, cancelling out Jonas Hoffman's strike.

Rudiger, who signed for Madrid after his Chelsea contract expired, was impressed by England's strength in depth, and reserved special praise for Jack Grealish, who came off the bench in midweek.

"The England squad has great quality," he said.

"It's like [Bukayo] Saka comes out, Grealish comes in. I saw a lot of big, big names were on the bench.

"England have a lot to be optimistic about for the future. I think you people don't need to worry too much. The English players are definitely getting better.

"You have to think about it like this, that players like [Marcus] Rashford and [Jadon] Sancho didn't even make the squad.

"That tells you that you have a lot of depth in the English squad and you have big, big players like Harry Kane, [Raheem] Sterling and Grealish – big names, big players.

"I think Grealish gave the team a real impact – because he came on and he gave good one v ones and everything.

"He is a very dangerous player and those sort of players are going to win you games."

England will face Wales, Iran and the United States in Group B at the World Cup, which starts on November 21.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson will miss the second Test against England in Nottingham on Friday after testing positive for COVID-19.

The Blackcaps skipper will begin five days of isolation after returning a positive sample on a rapid antigen test on Thursday.

New Zealand Cricket confirmed the rest of the touring party returned negative tests.

Blackcaps coach Gary Stead shared obvious disappointment over losing his captain, while confirming Hamish Rutherford will join the squad.

"It’s such a shame for Kane to be forced to withdraw on the eve of such an important match," Stead said. "We’re all feeling for him at this time and know how disappointed he will be.

"Hamish was with the Test squad earlier in the tour and has been playing for the Leicestershire Foxes in the Vitality T20 Blast."

Williamson made scores of two and 15 in England's win in the first Test at Lord's, with Matthew Potts claiming his wicket in both innings.

Ben Stokes heaped praise on the "brave" Joe Root for speaking openly about his England Test captaincy struggles as he backed the in-form batter to keep piling on the runs.

Root stepped down from his role as skipper of the red-ball side after a series defeat in West Indies following a run of just one win in their past 17 Tests.

Stokes was appointed as his successor, while Brendon McCullum took over as head coach after the dismissal of Chris Silverwood.

The new era got off to a great start, with Root scoring a majestic unbeaten 115 to pass 10,000 runs in Test cricket and help England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand last Sunday.

Root admitted after that knock, his first international without the captaincy, that the extra responsibility had started to negatively impact his private life.

Stokes says the former skipper has a spring back in his step.

"I went through that whole ride with Joe, especially over the last two years. We had some private conversations on tours away around that kind of stuff," Stokes told reporters.

"I'm sure everybody knows, being England captain is more than just what you do out on the field. You can end up taking it home and it can affect your personal situation – which Joe was very brave to say.

"This week, without that added pressure of being captain, it was almost like Joe was 18 again. And I'm pretty sure it won't be long till he's snipping people's socks again.

"It's great to see Joe the way that he is. It's great that he doesn't have that mountain of added pressure of being captain on his shoulders.

"And the one thing Joe always does is score runs."

Stokes also hopes England can ride the wave under McCullum and secure an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the second Test, which starts at Trent Bridge on Friday.

"First time out winning a series would obviously be good," he added. "It's going to be a long road with the way that we have changed mindset. I know there's going to be some ups and some downs.

"We're on a big up after winning last week, but we've just got to try and take everything as it comes, because who knows what this week will have in store for us."

Ben Stokes says it was an "easy decision" to pick Jack Leach for the second Test against New Zealand after the spinner was passed fit.

Leach was substituted out of England's five-wicket win at Lord's last week after suffering a blow to the head while fielding in the morning session.

The left-arm tweaker was replaced by Matt Parkinson, who took 1-47 in the second innings of an unexpected debut at the start of a new era under captain Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

Leach has undergone the standard return-to-play concussion protocols and was included in an unchanged side for a second Test that starts at Trent Bridge on Friday.

Stokes revealed it was a straightforward call to select Leach.

The all-rounder said: "It was an easy decision. It was pretty unfortunate what happened to Leachy last week at Lord's, but he’s pulled up well this week, and it was pretty straightforward once we knew he was fit to play. He was so excited to get the summer going.

"We all know that one of Baz's [McCullum's] things is for fielders to chase the ball right to the boundary.

"He made a very good point, and made Leachy stand out, that little thing epitomises what this team is all about."

There has been talk that Stokes may not be able to bowl in Nottingham, but the skipper allayed concerns on the eve of the match.

"It's just body stiffness, wear and tear," he said. "It's just about being more sensible in our training, because when you get out there and cross that line, you obviously want to do everything that you can to help win a game for England."

England's victory at Lord's was their first in 10 Tests, Joe Root starring with his first fourth-innings century to reach the 10,000 runs landmark.

New Zealand will have to do without all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme for the rest of the three-match series due to a heel injury, but Henry Nicholls will make a timely return to the side after recovering from a calf problem.

Neil Wagner or Matt Henry could replace spinner Ajaz Patel as the Black Caps eye a first Test win over England at Trent Bridge since August 1986 to level the series at 1-1.

Uprooting former skipper key for Black Caps

Root marked his first match since stepping down as skipper by producing another masterclass to get England home with support from Ben Foakes last weekend.

The 31-year-old's unbeaten 115 made him only the second England batter to score 10,000 Test runs after Alastair Cook and the 14th from any nation.

De Grandhomme removed Root for only 11 in the first innings, and Kane Williamson will be desperate to prevent England's best batter from getting set again.

Southee closing in on landmark

Tim Southee took 4-55 in the first innings at the Home of Cricket but failed to add to his wicket haul in the second innings.

The paceman needs another eight scalps to become only the third New Zealand bowler to take 350 Test wickets, with Richard Hadlee (431) and Daniel Vettori (361) the only others to have achieved that feat.

Ben Stokes hailed the energy and lift new England head coach Brendon McCullum has brought to the side as they prepare for the second Test against New Zealand.

McCullum and Stokes have been tasked with transforming England's fortunes in five-day cricket after captain Joe Root stepped down and coach Chris Silverwood was dismissed following a torrid run of one win in 17 Tests.

England got off to a great start to the new era at Lord's, Root scoring an unbeaten 115 to guide the hosts to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Stokes' side next head to Trent Bridge on Friday and can wrap up series victory over the world Test champions with a win in Nottingham.

While results will be undeniably at the forefront of McCullum's tenure, Stokes heaped praise on the New Zealand great for the feel-good environment he has instilled at England.

"It was fantastic," Stokes said of the win at Lord's as he addressed a news conference on Thursday.

"Obviously coming into the second game with a win under our belts straight away, with me captain and Brendon as coach, it's better than losing.

"One of the great things I've found about the last couple of weeks is genuinely just how much fun it has been.

"Sometimes the pressures of being an international cricketer, of delivering performances on a weekly basis, can get challenging.

"But we're playing for England and, when you play for your country, first and foremost the thing is to make sure you have as much fun as you can."

England will look to complete the series win before the third and final Test at Headingley, and Stokes believes the overhead conditions at Trent Bridge could serve his bowlers well.

"We're very evenly matched, especially in English conditions," he added. "Any overhead [cover] suits both our bowling attacks.

"We know that every time we go up against New Zealand it's never an easy ride. The game pretty much went to the wire until day four and we don't expect anything less."

Stokes also aimed to temper expectations surrounding Matthew Potts, who collected match figures of 7-68 on his Test debut, including the wicket of Black Caps captain Kane Williamson in both innings.

"The way that he started last week was obviously amazing," said Stokes. "It was pretty much a dream debut for him but I think the most important thing from a senior player point of view, and even for the coaches, is making sure that he keeps improving. And, if things don't go his way this week, it's not the be-all and end-all.

"But he's a fantastic competitor, that's why he got the opportunity to play.

"I obviously had to use him in a slightly different role because he normally takes the new ball for Durham, but he came on and I think he took a wicket three or four times in his first over when I asked him to do it. 

"I'll be looking to use him in the same way, to come in and affect the game and hopefully try and take a wicket when we need one."

Gareth Southgate has challenged Manchester City attacker Jack Grealish to improve tactically if he is to become a regular starter for England.

Grealish was introduced from the bench with 18 minutes remaining of Tuesday's Nations League showdown with Germany in Munich.

The 26-year-old made a difference down the left-hand side for England, who secured a 1-1 draw through Harry Kane's late penalty after Jonas Hofmann had opened the scoring.

Despite his limited minutes on the pitch, Grealish managed six touches in the opposition box, which is double that of any England player other than Kane (seven).

He created one chance and was also involved in the build-up to the incident that saw Kane felled in the area to win the penalty that he converted for his 50th England goal.

However, while Southgate was pleased with the impact made by Grealish, the Three Lions boss indicated that he is still after more from British football's most expensive player.

"At the start of the game the challenge for the wide players was to attack, defend and to try to score goals – it's a high tactical level and you've got to be spot on," Southgate said.

"That's an area Jack can get better at. What he did do was carry the ball as the game opened up with a bit more space and opportunity. 

"The impact he and Jarrod Bowen had was really important in those attacking areas. There's a good challenge there among those players, but we've got to keep pushing them."

Only half of Grealish's 22 caps for England have been starts, and asked if he sees the former Aston Villa star continuing to be an impact substitute or a regular in the long term, Southgate said: "He can do both.

"If we didn't trust him we wouldn't put him on the pitch with 20 minutes to go in the belief he can make a difference."

England were three minutes from successive defeats to begin their Nations League campaign when Kane converted his late penalty.

The visitors fielded their most experienced starting line-up under Southgate in terms of average age (27 years, 89 days) and most caps won (481 prior to kick-off).

With home games against Italy and Hungary still to come this window, Southgate is happy with the progress being made by his side just five months out from the World Cup.

"These series of matches are about improving and learning as a team and you can't get that against lesser opposition," he said. 

"The quality of the game tests every part of the player. I think we'll review it and see things we can get better at.

"Coming away from home and getting a good result was a challenge for the players. Top teams don't lose two on the bounce and they've responded to that in the right way.

"It's an important sign for when you are in a team – we've got seven or eight players still in there that got to a World Cup semi-final. 

"That's important as they put their bodies on the line and on nights like this, you have to do that to get a result."

England manager Gareth Southgate was full of praise for his side after salvaging a 1-1 draw away from home against Germany – particularly for star striker Harry Kane and the multitude of ways he helps the Three Lions function.

The home side looked poised for victory after Jonas Hoffman's 50th minute strike, but the visitors were rewarded for their strong play in the dying stages as Harry Kane converted a penalty in the 88th minute to tie things up.

Despite having just 37 per cent possession, England produced more shots (15 to 10) and had more expected goals (1.92 to 0.71).

It was Kane's 50th career goal for England, but Southgate said the real story is how well-rounded he is as a forward, becoming much more than a goal-scorer.

"Rightly, the fact he's got 50 goals will be the centre part of the story," he said. "But his all-round game, the way he led the line, the way he competed, the way he pressed from the front for us today was exceptional. 

"I think his quality to drop deep – I know people say he drops too deep – but you need a player that can come and link the game. 

"He gives us so many different options, and when we had runners past him like Raheem [Sterling] and Bukayo [Saka] and Mason [Mount], then that part of his game comes into its own. 

"There are little moments where he comes and takes the ball and relieves the pressure that you almost take for granted, but they're such an important part of the game in terms of the battling qualities of going down against an elite nation."

Southgate said he was pleased with his side's overall performance, highlighting just how difficult it is to earn a result away from home against one of the world's greatest teams.

"Firstly, I was pleased with the level of the performance because this type of fixture challenges everything – technical, tactical, physical, psychological," he said. 

"The players have had to give absolutely everything to get a result from the game. 

"I thought in the first half we were okay. We looked at moments like we could cause problems, but the quality of our passing in various phases of the game wasn't at the level it needed to be. 

"Second half we were a little bit too passive in that period where we conceded, but the response to that was fantastic.

"I think we created quality chances, and I think we deserved something from the game in the end. 

"It's a huge credit to the players that they've shown that mentality, having gone behind, not to give in and to keep pushing right to the very end."

England's Nations League campaign continues on Saturday, at home against Italy.

Harry Kane reached the milestone of 50 international goals during England's 1-1 draw against Germany in Tuesday's Nations League action, and the data shows just how lethal England's number nine has been in his 71 caps.

Kane's landmark strike came from the penalty spot in the dying stages as Germany led 1-0, the Tottenham star coolly converting in the 88th minute to salvage a draw for the visitors in Munich.

It was a deserved result for England, who had more shots (15-10) and a better expected goals figure (1.92 versus 0.71), despite far less possession (37.3 per cent).

For Kane, it was the 15th penalty he has scored for his country, and by netting it away from home at the Allianz Arena, he now has 20 home goals, 20 away, and 10 at neutral grounds.

Despite having a strike rate of 0.7 goals per game in international play, the Nations League has been Kane's toughest competition, with his goal against Germany only his second in 14 Nations League fixtures (.14 goals per game).

He has been most prolific in World Cup qualifiers, scoring 17 times in 14 games, while being similarly effective in European Championship qualifiers (15 goals in 13 games). He also has six World Cup goals in six matches.

As a true striker, he has done most of his work close to goal, scoring 48 of his 50 goals from inside the penalty box. He has tallied nine headers to go with 35 right-foot finishes and six with his left.

Speaking to the media after his third career goal against Germany – having only scored more against San Marino (five), Bulgaria (four), Montenegro (four) and Albania (four) – Kane said he likes nothing more than putting the ball in the back of the net.

"I love scoring goals, I always have – especially for my country," he said.

"So whenever I can help the team, that's the most important thing. Good to bounce back with a result, it's not an easy place to come. Now we've got two games at home to try to get two wins. 

"Even going 1-0 down, it shows good character from us away from home to get back into the game and get a result against a good Germany side. 

"It shows where we are. We've still got improvement, but we're working hard and the World Cup's going to be here before we know it, so we've got to keep doing well."

He added in a tweet after the game: "50 England goals. So so proud. Treasure each and every one of them. Never take it for granted."

England's Nations League campaign continues on Saturday against Italy at Molineux.