Wayne Rooney Must Break England Goalscoring Record to Ensure Legacy

Wayne Rooney Must Break England Goalscoring Record to Ensure Legacy

Sunday, 2 March 2014

It might not have been the most earth-shattering news of all time, but England manager Roy Hodgson's assertion that Wayne Rooney could break Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing goalscoring record deserved some attention.

Paul Joyce of the Daily Express reported Hodgson's view on Monday after he attended the Euro 2016 qualifying draw in Nice, France.

The former Liverpool and Fulham boss believes Rooney should be using the forthcoming campaign as a catalyst to become the country's leading scorer at international level.

Hodgson is quoted as saying:

He's definitely up there in terms of international goals. If I was to ring Wayne up and say, by the way, you're close to Bobby Charlton's national scoring record, he might say... 'I know'. But we're going to be together for a longer period of time and that kind of thing might crop up in an everyday conversation and it's quite good to have that.

 Rooney recently signed a bumper deal with Manchester United. That did not go unnoticed by some Crystal Palace fans during the Premier League game at Selhurst Park recently, as noted by The Guardian.

The Old Trafford striker is hoping to cement his legacy at the club in the coming years, but he must also consider Hodgson's words on the Charlton accolade.

With England grouped with Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino, no amount of "we must not underestimate the opposition" comments will disguise the fact that the Three Lions should qualify with ease.

Manchester United legend Charlton struck 49 goals for England, a record which has not come close to being bettered since Gary Lineker retired from the international arena in 1992 just one behind. Rooney, 28, has scored 38 goals for England, leaving him with just 11 more to find to equal Charlton's all-time best, which was set in 1970.

Ask any football fan how many goals Charlton scored for Manchester United, and only a handful will know the answer.

Ask the same question over his England goals, and you can guarantee that far more will have the correct response because of its national coverage over the years.

Rooney might be looking to make club history with United in the coming years, but he can ensure immortality by breaking through the Charlton ceiling with the Three Lions.



Believability meter: High

Hodgson is spot on with his assessment that Rooney can break the goalscoring record, but the striker's desire to cement his legacy will be more easily attained at international level than at Old Trafford.

Charlton's record has been standing for well over 40 years now, and Rooney is in prime position to break it. He can't squander this chance.