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.
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.
Currently playing for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, Kane has so far scored 71 goals in 105 matches for England.
Harry Kane is England’s record goalscorer. Image: Getty
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.
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.
Featured Image Credit: TNT Sports
Topics: Wayne Rooney, England, Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, Football
Wayne Rooney's Predictions for England's Top Goalscorer
In 2015, Wayne Rooney achieved a historic milestone, becoming England's all-time leading goalscorer, surpassing the legendary Bobby Charlton. This achievement, marked by his 50th England goal in a victory against Switzerland, was a moment of immense pride for Rooney. However, even as he celebrated his own success, Rooney was looking to the future, pondering who might one day eclipse his record for the Three Lions.
At the time of reaching his half-century of international goals, the Manchester United icon publicly tipped three young England stars as potential future record-breakers. Speaking to the media, Rooney expressed his hope that several players would not only approach but eventually surpass his England goal tally.
According to reports from the Manchester Evening News, Rooney stated: "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." He then highlighted a trio of promising talents: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Ross Barkley, as the players he believed could challenge his record.
Rooney elaborated, saying: "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 himself went on to extend his record to 53 goals before retiring from international football, setting a high bar for any aspiring England striker.
Kane Breaks the Record, But What Happened to Sterling and Barkley?
Of the three players backed by Rooney to potentially overtake him as England's top marksman, only Harry Kane has managed to live up to that prediction. Kane indeed etched his name into the history books, scoring his 54th goal for England against Italy in March 2023, officially surpassing Rooney and becoming England's new record goalscorer. As of now, Kane boasts an impressive 71 goals in 105 appearances for England, while playing his club football with Bayern Munich.
However, the same cannot be said for Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley. While both possess undeniable talent, neither has come close to threatening Rooney's or Kane's goalscoring records for England.
- Raheem Sterling: Currently with 20 goals in 82 England caps, Sterling, despite being a regular for the national team for many years, has not reached the prolific scoring levels needed to challenge the record.
- Ross Barkley: Barkley's England career has stalled significantly. The Aston Villa midfielder has only scored 6 goals for England and hasn't been called up to the national squad since 2019, making any challenge to the record highly improbable.
It's worth noting that since this prediction, the England national team has entered a new chapter. Most recently, under new management, England secured victories against Albania (2-0) and Latvia (3-0) in 2026 World Cup qualifying matches.
Could there be other emerging talents who might one day challenge Harry Kane's newly set record? Only time will tell who will be the next England star to chase the coveted title of top goalscorer.
What do you think? Who will be the next England player to break Harry Kane's goalscoring record? Share your predictions in the comments below!