In a recent statement, England and Manchester United record-breaking goalscorer Wayne Rooney has said that he was never a “natural” finisher.
His comment must be viewed in the context of the 253 goals he scored to break Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time record at the Red Devils. He eventually surpassed his tally by a total of 53 goals.
“This might surprise you, but I’m not a natural goalscorer. I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy,” Rooney wrote in his Sunday Times column as quoted by news agency IANS via BBC.
“I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and I’m very proud about that – yet there have been better number nines than me,” he added.
“I played for United for 13 years, England for 15 years. I had time to break those records – and looking back I should have scored more.”
Rooney also stated recently that his lowest point came in the FIFA World Cup 2006 quarter-final match against Portugal, where he was sent off the pitch.
“There was a clear foul, the former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho was pulling and pushing me and Petit came in from the other side,” Rooney wrote in his column for The Times as quoted by Goal. (via IANS)
“Referee Horacio Elizondo did nothing and I planted my foot down on Carvalho — in one of those moments when you’re not thinking. I knew it was a red card and back in the dressing room I watched the rest of the game on a little TV, thinking: ‘If we win this, I’m suspended for a World Cup semi-final and final and if we lose it’s my fault.'”
“It was the worst, weirdest feeling I’ve had in football. I had my phone in my hand and I was getting all these messages about Ronaldo. Of course, when he ran over to ask Elizondo to send me off I pushed him away. In that moment I couldn’t believe what he was doing. But sitting in that dressing room gave me time to calm down and think,” he wrote.