After scoring his 50th goal in 107 games for his country on Tuesday during England’s 2-0 win over Switzerland, Wayne Rooney is now the all-time leading goalscorer for the Three Lions.
Beating Sir Bobby Charlton’s long-standing record was a proud moment for Rooney. You can see that from his reaction in the video above from the English FA.
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The Manchester United and England captain has broken the goal-scoring record at the age of 29, and has 12 years under his belt for his nation.
Although Rooney has only delivered one goal in World Cup tournaments and has failed to stake his claim as a leading light in world soccer and win titles with his nation, there’s no doubt he’s the talisman of this current England team as they cruised into the 2016 European Championships in France next summer with eight wins from eight which wrapped up Group E with two games to go.
However, skepticism remains among many circles as to how “great” Rooney really is. Does he rank alongside the likes of Charlton, Gary Lineker, Michael Owen and Alan Shearer? And where does he rank internationally? Will his achievement be marveled in the some way that as record-breaking feats from the likes of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose? Probably not.
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That need to compare Rooney to generations gone past and how good he is compared to Charlton, Lineker, Owen, Shearer et al. is one that will always remain and cause debate among fans and pundits. But will Rooney and others really care how good he is compared to English strikers of yesteryear? Nope. Charlton has spoken about his sadness at having his record broken but also his delight that Rooney was the man to do it.
So really, this one is down to you, the fans.
How good is Rooney in this day and age and where does he rank all-time in the list of top strikers for England, or for any nation, ever, on the international stage?
Let us know in the comments section below.