The Malta Independent on Sunday
Rooney becomes Man United’s record scorer with 250th goal
Football in the UK
Wayne Rooney became Manchester United’s record scorer after moving onto 250 goals by netting a stoppage-time equaliser in yesterday’s Premier League game against Stoke.
Rooney had been tied on 249 goals with Bobby Charlton, who has held the record since 1973.
The 31-year-old England captain is in his 13th season at United and no longer assured of a starting spot. He came off the bench at Stoke to clinch a 1-1 draw and complete possibly the final major feat of his illustrious - if turbulent - career.
It confirms him as a modernday great in English soccer, if not maybe the world game.
Some will say he hasn’t quite reached the heights expected of him after bursting onto the international scene with such brio at the 2004 European Championship, or that he hasn’t kicked on from when he was arguably at the top of his game with United in the 2009-10 season.
In that season, Rooney was at a level comparable to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. But his career has tailed off somewhat - save for certain standout periods - while Messi and Ronaldo have gone from strength to strength, competing on an annual basis for FIFA’s Player of the Year award.
In some United supporters’ eyes, he has also tarnished his long stay at United by seeking to leave the club firstly in 2010 and again at the end of the 2012-13 season.
But there have been many memorable moments in the famous red jersey since moving to United from Everton for 20 million pounds as an 18-year-old prodigy in 2004, starting with his debut when he scored a hat trick in a Champions League match against Fenerbahce at Old Trafford.
He scored 17 goals in his first season, the highlight being a thunderous volley from 30 metres against Newcastle in April 2005 that will go down as one of the best goals in his career.
Ironically, Rooney has never been a prolific scorer. He managed 16 league goals in 2005-06, 14 in 2006-07, 12 in 2007-08 and 12 in 2008-09. His best scoring season for United was in 200910, when he netted 33 goals in all competitions (26 in the league) and he was named English soccer’s Player of the Year by his fellow professionals.
Some of Rooney’s other great goals include:
- His powerful volley from the edge of the area in a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in January 2005
- His overhead kick against Manchester City that sealed a 2-1 win at Old Trafford in February 2011
- His shot from the halfway line against West Ham in a 2-0 win at Upton Park in March 2014
PW D L F A Pts Chelsea 21 17 1 3 45 15 52 Tottenham 22 13 7 2 45 16 46 Liverpool 22 13 6 3 51 27 45 Arsenal 21 13 5 3 48 22 44 Man City 22 13 4 5 43 28 43 Man United 22 11 8 3 33 21 41 Everton 22 10 6 6 33 23 36 West Brom 22 9 5 8 30 28 32 Stoke 22 7 7 8 28 34 28 West Ham 22 8 4 10 29 36 28 Bournemouth 22 7 5 10 32 39 26 Burnley 21 8 2 11 23 31 26 Southampton 21 6 6 9 19 26 24 Watford 22 6 6 10 25 38 24 Leicester 21 5 6 10 24 34 21 M’boro 22 4 8 10 18 25 20 Swansea 22 5 3 14 26 51 18 Crystal P 22 4 4 14 30 41 16 Hull 21 4 4 13 20 45 16 Sunderland 22 4 3 15 20 42 15
PW D L F A Pts Newcastle 27 19 1 7 54 21 58 Brighton 26 17 6 3 42 18 57 Huddersfield 27 15 4 8 32 30 49 Leeds 27 15 3 9 37 27 48 Reading 26 14 4 8 38 36 46 Sheffield W 27 13 6 8 31 26 45 Derby 27 12 7 8 27 21 43 Barnsley 27 12 5 10 46 41 41 Fulham 26 10 10 6 44 31 40 Norwich 27 12 4 11 45 40 40 Preston 27 11 7 9 37 34 40 Birmingham 27 9 10 8 31 36 37 Aston Villa 27 8 12 7 28 27 36 Ipswich 27 9 7 11 28 33 34 Brentford 27 9 6 12 34 35 33 Cardiff 26 9 6 11 31 40 33 QPR 27 9 6 12 26 37 33 Wolves 27 8 8 11 34 37 32 Nott’m Forest 27 8 6 13 38 45 30 Bristol City 27 8 3 16 35 39 27 Wigan 27 6 7 14 24 32 25 Burton Alb 27 6 7 14 26 37 25 Blackburn 27 6 7 14 32 44 25 Rotherham 27 4 4 19 27 60 16
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