Wayne Rooney opened the scoring for England in their 6-0 win against San Marino this weekend, and has now become his country’s joint-top goalscorer – level on 49 goals with Sir Bobby Charlton. He netted a first-half penalty to match the record, and could well surpass it when the Three Lions lock horns with Switzerland on Tuesday.
The debate rages whether Rooney is a worthy player to top the all-time scoring charts, but breaking a record that has stood for 45 years is no mean feat. He’s had his sights set on the target for some time, and will be relieved that he’s finally stamped his name in the history books after so much talk and expectation.
“It’s a proud moment. To be there sitting at the top with (Charlton) in terms of goals is a great achievement and something I’m very proud of. Obviously I feel like I’ve got a lot of time left to go on and be the leading scorer, but tonight it’s just a huge moment for me,” he said following the match.
Strikers have come and gone in the England side over the last 10 years, but Rooney has been a regular ever since his rise to prominence, and will deservedly go down the annals for his longevity and consistency for his country. If he scores against Switzerland, he will stand alone in the history books unparalleled with a record unlikely to be broken for some time.
Questionable showings in recent international tournaments will be the black mark on his legacy, but Rooney’s 106 caps as a striker are impressive enough in the modern game. Not many forwards are regulars for their country for such a long period of time, nor are they regularly scoring more than the rest of their teammates.
Considering Wayne Rooney is regarded as a striker who has peaked in his career, he’s certainly bowing out in emphatic fashion. The 29-year-old has many years to go at the top level, and is expected to retire as England and Manchester United all-time top goalscorer as a result. He was tipped for greatness as a promising youngster at former side Everton, and has certainly lived up to his billing.
“It’s always nice to score, but winning was the bottom line. We’ve got another game on Tuesday and we want to perform again. The aim is to get three points there,” Rooney added, who will be hoping to cement his name with a record-breaking goal at Wembley. England manager Roy Hodgson surprising robbed the striker of the chance to score the goal against San Marino, potentially with the venue in mind for their next game.
