Advertisement

Wayne Rooney becomes Man United's all-time leading scorer with clutch free kick (Video)

Manchester United desperately needed a goal. Fittingly, Wayne Rooney delivered.

Rooney, a 67th-minute substitute, produced the equalizer United was seeking in the final seconds of stoppage time against Stoke City, firing a free kick past goalkeeper Lee Grant into the top corner. The stunning strike salvaged a 1-1 draw on the road to extend the Red Devils’ unbeaten streak to 17 games, but it was also historic as Rooney finally notched his 250th for the club to become United’s all-time leading scorer, surpassing the 249 of legend Sir Bobby Charlton.

In his postgame interview, Rooney called the achievement “a huge honor for me, something I never expected.”

“I’m very proud,” the 31-year-old added. “Hopefully, there’s more to come.”

Rooney was congratulated by Sir Bobby afterward.

If it wasn’t for Rooney’s timely strike, Saturday’s visit to the bet365 Stadium was going to be forgettable for United. The Red Devils dominated possession (65 percent) and outshot Stoke (25-6, 8-1 on goal) but appeared to be headed for their first Premier League defeat since a 4-0 drubbing at Chelsea in late October. Even worse, United was going to drop points because of its own doing.

Wayne Rooney
Believe it, Wayne. You’re United’s all-time top scorer. (Reuters)

In the 19th minute, a Stoke counter had the Red Devils scrambling back to defend. Juan Mata, who lost his man, tried to chase down Erik Pieters, but the Spaniard ended up deflecting Pieters’ cross into his own net, the ball hitting goalkeeper David De Gea before crossing the line.

Mata was replaced by Rooney, and the rest was history. Well, it took nearly a half hour but you get the gist.

The feat cements Rooney’s place among the many legends at Man United. Leaving Everton at age 18 in 2004 for United on a $50 million move, he has more than lived up to the hype. His goal-scoring consistency and relentless drive powered the Red Devils to five Premier League titles, one FA Cup trophy and a Champions League crown in his 13 seasons.

But what’s most surprising is the fact that Rooney has stayed at Old Trafford all this time. Sir Alex Ferguson would call out the “stocky” Rooney for his lapses in fitness, and the deep pockets of Chelsea came close to luring the striker to Stamford Bridge, namely one close call in 2013 after David Moyes, Rooney’s former manager and adversary at Everton, replaced Ferguson.

Demotions to the bench, for England and United, were a longtime coming, but Rooney has taken them well, admitting that he knows he’s “no longer the first name on the team sheet.” However, there is still a role for Wayne Rooney to play. Saturday’s late heroics reaffirmed that.