Wayne Rooney, England's greatest ever player and all time top goalscorer, retires*

[SvN]

*from international football.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41027204

Quite a surprise - I fully expected him to be one of those who never refuses a call up. I reckon he had a decent chance of being recalled too, if he kept playing regularly.

[-james-]

Just in time for a 30 goal season and an international comeback around June next year.

[Lewis]

In what now looks like a suspiciously well-timed intervention, Crisps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41018943) called him one of our 'top 10 ever', so let's have a think. Assuming he just means England, rather than Britain as a whole (no chance in that case), the obviously better people who instantly come to mind - in no particular order - are:

Bobby Charlton
Bobby Moore
Bryan Robson
Gordon Banks
Stanley Matthews
Tom Finney
Alan Shearer
Rio Ferdinand
John Terry
Paul Scholes

Well there are ten names, and then you have loads of other people like Steven Gerrard, the Spirit of Bobby Moore, John Barnes, Kevin Keegan and so on and so on who you could make a reasonable case for, so shut up Crisps (Crisps himself) you wanker.

[SvN]

Rooney's statement

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DH6au5nXkAEwsVF.jpg:large

Looks like he was about to be recalled, too.

[SvN]

In what now looks like a suspiciously well-timed intervention, Crisps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41018943) called him one of our 'top 10 ever', so let's have a think. Assuming he just means England, rather than Britain as a whole (no chance in that case), the obviously better people who instantly come to mind - in no particular order - are:

Bobby Charlton
Bobby Moore
Bryan Robson
Gordon Banks
Stanley Matthews
Tom Finney
Alan Shearer
Rio Ferdinand
John Terry
Paul Scholes

Well there are ten names, and then you have loads of other people like Steven Gerrard, the Spirit of Bobby Moore, John Barnes, Kevin Keegan and so on and so on who you could make a reasonable case for, so shut up Crisps (Crisps himself) you wanker.
What have Scholes, Terry and Ferdinand done for England to suggest they're better than the All Time Top Goalscorer™?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Rooney never did anything at a major tournament after 2004. Big John 'JT' Terry won the World Cup twice.

[Lewis]

Crisps said 'for English football', rather than for England, and they were all better than him.

[Pepe]

Good that he's still and England fan.

[phonics]

I'm very over this Paul Scholes was the bestest ever thing that crept up once he got old. Everyone thought he was good but not 'a great' and then we had that year where Ryan Giggs got Footballer of the Year at age 75 and we all had to have a wank over Paul Scholes from then on as well.

Everyone just spent so many years telling everyone he was under-rated that he's ended up over-rated.

[Reg]

What have Scholes, Terry and Ferdinand done for England to suggest they're better than the All Time Top Goalscorer™?
Rooney having had a better career than Ferdinand and Terry I can get behind, but I'm not having Rooney better than Scholes, oh no way Jose.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm very over this Paul Scholes was the bestest ever thing that crept up once he got old. Everyone thought he was good but not 'a great' and then we had that year where Ryan Giggs got Footballer of the Year at age 75 and we all had to have a wank over Paul Scholes from then on as well.

The best thing Paul Scholes could have done would be go back to oblivion (maybe become Oldham groundsman or something) and never speak in public again. Now he's tarnished by the Class of 92 fuckwittery.

[SvN]

Rooney having had a better career than Ferdinand and Terry I can get behind, but I'm not having Rooney better than Scholes, oh no way Jose.

I misinterpreted it as "for England". Scholes was the better player, but he never really delivered internationally. Neither did Rooney mind, but at least he's scored goals and had a decent tournament.

[Lewis]

Peak Rooney was better than Peak Scholes, but Scholes had had ten seasons of being great before he even modified his game. But yes he might be the worst pundit in the business.

[SvN]

Indeed, I thought much more highly of him when he pretended he didn't enjoy the limelight. I'd also agree that peak Rooney was the better player, but that was a very small window.

[John Arne]

Probably....

Paul Scholes
Nicky Butt
Bobby Charlton
David Beckham
Phil Neville
Gary Neville
Steve Bruce
Gary Pallister
Jessie Lingard
Marcus Rashford

[Jimmy Floyd]

For the home of football, we don't half have a rubbish selection of former greats.

[Lewis]

The all-time England XI (capt. Sol Campbell, vice capt. Paul Ince) would give anybody a run for their worthless foreign money.

[John Arne]

http://www.westlondonsport.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/paulparker2.jpg

[Weaver]

I wonder if Rooney's got an eye on the Premier League goal scoring record - he's still 60 away from Shearer but four seasons of fifteen goals would do it.

Peter Beardsley came back to Newcastle at a similar age to Rooney/Everton and was a big part of what was built, so if Rooney can have a similar impact, he won't be far off.


The best thing Paul Scholes could have done would be go back to oblivion (maybe become Oldham groundsman or something) and never speak in public again. Now he's tarnished by the Class of 92 fuckwittery.

He sounds like a monster, doesn't he? No wonder Beckham and Giggs became 'the face' of Man Utd in that time.

[Adamski]

In what now looks like a suspiciously well-timed intervention, Crisps (http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/41018943) called him one of our 'top 10 ever', so let's have a think. Assuming he just means England, rather than Britain as a whole (no chance in that case), the obviously better people who instantly come to mind - in no particular order - are:

Bobby Charlton
Bobby Moore
Bryan Robson
Gordon Banks
Stanley Matthews
Tom Finney
Alan Shearer
Rio Ferdinand
John Terry
Paul Scholes

Well there are ten names, and then you have loads of other people like Steven Gerrard, the Spirit of Bobby Moore, John Barnes, Kevin Keegan and so on and so on who you could make a reasonable case for, so shut up Crisps (Crisps himself) you wanker.

If he's scored more goals than Shearer then I think that's a fair case to be higher up the list than him? I'd also have him higher than the last 3 for what it's worth.

[SvN]

Shearer was instrumental to our successful Euro 96, which means he edges Rooney in my view.

[John]

Shearer has more tournament goals, which should count for about ten non tournament goals where international football is concerned.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd personally have Michael Owen above Rooney, though he is doing his best to ruin it in retirement.

[Lewis]

It wasn't specific to the England national team. If it was you could have also had Michael Owen, David Beckham, Paul Gascoigne, Crisps, Peter Shilton...

[John Arne]

So why pick Rio? A bloke who was banned for 8 months for avoiding a drugs test - how is that good for "English football"? He shouldn't even be in the top 10 best players ever, either.

I'd probably have Gaz Nev ahead of Rio.

[niko_cee]

I'd personally have Michael Owen above Rooney, though he is doing his best to ruin it in retirement.

I heard a local radio add for some ambulance chasers today by our Michael.

"I know what it's like to have been injured . . ." he began.

[Yevrah]

Shearer was better for England than Rooney.

[Shindig]

It wasn't an international tournament without a Rio Ferdinand being harshley chalked off. Shearer was a driving force. Rooney felt like he was being accommodated, especially in the latter stages. It's like when we played Beckham as defensive mid, except for about five years longer.

[Ian]

Other than 2004 I don't think there was a tournament where you can honestly say we'd have been worse off without him. Which is absurd when he's also our highest scorer. Okay so he's got a shitload of caps and has played an awful lot of shit but nobody else has scored at that kind of rate for in Rooney's time in the team or threatened to usurp him from the side.

Is there another country where their highest goalscorer is held in such mixed regard?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Spain, probably.

EDIT: I see their highest scorer is actually Villa, but I meant Raúl, who presumably was before that.

[Shindig]

I was going to say Scotland til I realised the current lot can't manage 30 between them.

[Yevrah]

Raul was absolute dogshit for Spain and no coincidence that they started winning things when they binned him off.

[niko_cee]

Other than 2004 I don't think there was a tournament where you can honestly say we'd have been worse off without him.

Aye, but at the same time that's the only tournament we've even looked close to winning and Rooney was absolutely brilliant. Easily surpassed Shearer's contribution to '96 (which was all about Gazza really). That injury against Portugal was cruel.

[Kikó]

Shearer is the best English striker followed by Linekar. I'd have Rooney around third with Sheringham and other older players I never watched.

Good luck to Wayne. I hope he actually can enjoy it again without the pressure of England and UNITED.

[Lewis]

So why pick Rio? A bloke who was banned for 8 months for avoiding a drugs test - how is that good for "English football"? He shouldn't even be in the top 10 best players ever, either.

I'd probably have Gaz Nev ahead of Rio.

Because he is the best defender England has ever produced.

[Adamski]

Shearer was better for England than Rooney.

Subjectively maybe, objectively I don't think so.

[John Arne]

Because he is the best defender England has ever produced.

He really isn't. Moore... Campbell... Billy Wright (apparently)... perhaps Stuart Pearce and Butcher, too.

[John]

Subjectively maybe, objectively I don't think so.

:D Lovely.

[John Arne]

Would Gazza be considered? Or is it a case of "did well, but could have done so much more"?

[Lewis]

Ferdinand was world class for almost ten years, and the absolute best in his position for about three of those (2006 to 2009, until he started having injuries; but even then he was peerless when fit). Moore and Terry are legitimate alternatives, but lol at Stuart Pearce and Terry Butcher.

[mugbull]

Subjectively maybe, objectively I don't think so.

My oh my.

[John Arne]

Perhaps not Butcher (I only know what I've read about him), but certainly Pearce - he was excellent for club and country.

[Adamski]

:D Lovely.


My oh my.

Glad to see you're on a par with Mokbull, John. A board high for you.

[John]

Perhaps not Butcher (I only know what I've read about him), but certainly Pearce - he was excellent for club and country.

So you've offered five alternatives to Ferdinand as the best defender and you've never seen two of them. That's just desperate.

[Lewis]

We're all basically going off what we've read, but I've never read anything to suggest that those two were that highly thought of (compared to Ferdinand) at the time.

[John Arne]

So you've offered five alternatives to Ferdinand as the best defender and you've never seen two of them. That's just desperate.

Really?

I've read enough about them - it's pretty obvious Duncan Edwards and Billy Wright were a bit special - but I never saw either of them play. Butcher I'm going from reputation and highlights - but no, I can't recall seeing him play in his later career.

[bruhnaldo]

Seems like the 1950's equivalent to "but they are amazing on FIFA" for me, Clive.

[SvN]

Sol fucking Campbell? Better than Ferdinand?

[Shindig]

Would Gazza be considered? Or is it a case of "did well, but could have done so much more"?

Naturally gifted which is shorthand for 'had ability but nowt upstairs'. See also Joe Cole.

[niko_cee]

Comparing Gazza to Joe Cole?

The latter was only 'naturally gifted' when he was about 10 (and in everyone's post 96/98 team for the next world cup).

[Ian]

Raul was absolute dogshit for Spain and no coincidence that they started winning things when they binned him off.

So what you're saying is, we're going to win the cup?

:cool:

[Shindig]

He proper meant that scuffed effort against the Swedes.

[Toppedogge]

Wayne Rooney is a weird one. On one hand you have the England and Man United record goalscorer, on the other you have a useless granny fucking cunt who's been a victim of people expecting too much.

I lost all respect for him though after he shafted United into giving him a new deal. "No ambition". The media and support have been overly harsh on the guy over the years and I'd like to see him go out in a decent manner at Everton than how he was viewed in his final year at Man Utd.

[Kikó]

I think he was spot on with that. We weren't spending (because the glazers wouldn't or couldn't) and the team was being left behind. No excuse on the way he decided to conduct himself on a personal level. Just knock off the booze, fags and cola until you retire.