Rooney now out on his own as he drives England to win

DELIVERING in front of an expectant nation may have been beyond the footballers of Northern Ireland and Wales over the preceding two days of Euro 2016 qualifiers. But not Wayne Rooney last night.
England's Wayne Rooney scores his sid'es second goal against Switzerland and his 50th for England (Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire).England's Wayne Rooney scores his sid'es second goal against Switzerland and his 50th for England (Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire).
England's Wayne Rooney scores his sid'es second goal against Switzerland and his 50th for England (Picture: Nick Potts/PA Wire).

Just 390 seconds remained of a largely forgettable encounter when the England captain broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s 45-year record for international goals in a Three Lions shirt.

That Rooney reached his half century from the penalty spot mattered not a jot, as manager Roy Hodgson led the applause from the touchline on behalf of a grateful nation.

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The accolade and the adulation were both well deserved, no matter what is claimed by the cynics who insist Charlton having won a World Cup during his own career is proof that Rooney is not fit to lace the boots of the footballing knight.

Nonsense. If anything, scoring 50 goals in an era when there has been no Bobby Moore, no Jimmy Greaves and no Geoff Hurst means the current England captain deserves his place in the record books.

He is also entitled to feel every bit as proud of being the country’s new all-time leading goalscorer, as seemed the case after netting in his seventh consecutive qualifier – another record.

Fittingly, Rooney played an important role in the strike by Harry Kane that had set the hosts on their way to an eighth straight qualifying win in Group E with the vision that has typified a stellar career.

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No wonder, therefore, that the English in a 75,751 crowd rose as one to applaud Rooney from the field after he had lit up an otherwise poor game.

The first half, in particular, had been a non-event.

Switzerland, in contrast to their hosts, had plenty resting on their visit to Wembley.

That much was evident from the near 8,000-strong travelling army of fans that had descended on the capital.

But, despite getting men forward in good numbers during the opening 45 minutes, the visitors created little of note.

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In fact, all the Swiss did by adopting an adventurous approach was inadvertently play into the hands of an England side who seem at their best when breaking at speed.

One such swift move early on ended with Rooney dragging a shot across goal following a deft pass by former Leeds United man James Milner.

Moments later, the Three Lions’ captain returned the favour but, again, Switzerland survived as Milner’s shot was saved by Yann Sommer.

Raheem Sterling was another to hand Vladimir Petkovic’s men a let-off when unable to control a pass from Luke Shaw, Sommer rushing from his line to claim the ball.

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At the other end, Joe Hart had to be just as alert to deny Switzerland’s Xherdan Shaqiri with a brave block after the hosts had been opened up by a slick passing move.

In the first half’s only other chance of note, Josip Drmic dragged a shot well wide after being found by Shaqiri to neatly sum up what had been, for all the endeavour of the Swiss, a wretched 45 minutes.

Things had to improve after the break and they did, thanks in the main to Rooney injecting some much-needed urgency into proceedings from the restart.

First, the Manchester United forward’s header from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross forced the back-pedalling Sommer into a save under his crossbar.

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Then, after the introduction of Kane from the bench had forced Rooney back into the “hole” as part of a 4-2-3-1 set-up, he thundered a first-time shot from 25 yards that Sommer was fortunate came straight at him.

Kane did the same from a similar distance before the Tottenham striker made it two goals in as many games for his country on 67 minutes. Rooney, typically, played his part in the build-up by rolling the ball out to Shaw on the left. He, in turn, looked up to pick out unmarked Kane 12 yards from goal and the striker made no mistake with a first-time left-footed shot.

Switzerland, their hopes of taking top spot now seriously under threat, did offer plenty of attacking threat in the second half.

Hart, for instance, had to be at his agile best to keep out a flicked header from Granit Xhaka at his near post, while Valentin Stocker should have done better than drag a shot wide after wriggling free of the defence.

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Had Milner also not executed a perfectly-timed tackle just as Timm Klose prepared to shoot on goal 13 minutes from time then the Swiss may well have returned home with some reward.

Instead, Xhaka’s trip on Sterling presented Rooney with an opportunity from 12 yards that he was never going to pass up to ensure the night ended on a high for Hodgson and his men.

England: Hart; Clyne (Stones 68), Cahill, Smalling, Shaw; Milner, Shelvey (Kane 57), Delph (Barkley 3); Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney, Sterling. Unused substitutes: Butland, Heaton, Gibbs, Walcott, Jagielka, Vardy, Mason.

Switzerland: Sommer; Lichsteiner, Klose, Schar, Rodriguez; Xhaka, Inter, Behrami (Dzemaili 79); Shaqiri, Drmic (Embolo 63), Stocker (Seferovic 72). Unused substitutes: Hitz, Burki, Moubandje, von Bergen, Widmer, Fernandes, Kasami, Mehmedi, Lustenberger.

Referee: G Rocchi (Italy).

Charlton pleased fellow Red has taken his record: Page 25.