Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports
Topics: Wayne Rooney, England, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, Football
Marcus Chan
Topics: Wayne Rooney, England, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, Football
Wayne Rooney once tipped three players to overtake him as England's highest-ever goal scorer.
Back in 2015, Rooney overtook Bobby Charlton to become the Three Lions' record goalscorer after scoring his 50th England goal during a 2-0 win over Switzerland.
Speaking at the time, Rooney expressed his delight in creating history but also went on to predict three players to beat his total in the future.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Rooney said: "This is such a huge moment for myself and my family in my career. Hopefully for the team and for myself there will be a lot more to come."
The then-Manchester United star then predicted Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley to beat his record.
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He continued: "We can be successful and hopefully a lot of the younger lads - Harry coming through, Ross, Raheem, can come close and even pass me in the future."
Rooney went on to score 53 goals for England before calling time on his wonderful career.
Out of the three players Rooney mentioned, Kane was the only one that managed the feat.
The former Tottenham Hotspur striker scored his 54th goal for the Three Lions when they netted against Italy back in March 2023.
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Currently playing for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Kane has so far scored 71 goals in 105 matches for England.
However, Sterling and Barkley have both failed to get close to Rooney's tally of 53 goals.
Sterling has only 20 goals in 82 England caps and is currently struggling at Arsenal.
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Meanwhile, Barkley, who now plays for Aston Villa, has only netted six times in an England shirt.
The former Everton man has not been picked since 2019.
Earlier in the month, a new era began for England as Thomas Tuchel took charge for the first time.
Under the German's leadership, the Three Lions recorded a 2-0 win over Albania before beating Latvia 3-0 in the qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.