Rooney proud as he hits big 50

WAYNE Rooney hopes he is not England’s leading goalscorer for long.

Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s 45–year–old record last night when he scored his 50th goal – a late penalty – in the 2–0 win over Switzerland.

It was a momentous night for the 29–year–old England captain, who was filled with emotion. After the match, manager Roy Hodgson handed his skipper a commemorative shirt with “Rooney 50” on the back..

“I want to thank all of the coaches, the players, and the staff who I have worked with for such a long time,” the Manchester United forward said. “This is such a huge moment for me and my family in my career. Hopefully there will be a lot more to come, Hopefully a lot of the younger lads like Harry Kane, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling can pass me in the future.”

Shortly after the match Charlton paid tribute to the man who overhauled his 49–goal tally.

Rooney took 12 years and 107 matches to bring up his half century, and Hodgson believes Rooney could potentially score upwards of 60 goals.