5 things we learnt from the Euro 2016 qualifiers this week
The continent of Europe moved two steps further towards realising the 24 teams which are set to partake in Euro 2016 in France. Some outfits sealed their berth in the finals, whereas some couldn’t muster a challenge. Some sauntered their way, whereas others faltered. As we witness the end of the international break for club football to roll back into focus, we take a look at the five things we learnt from the Euro 2016 qualifying matches during the international break.
#1 Wayne Rooney becomes England\'s most prolific, but is he the greatest?
The wait was finally over for Wayne Rooney. What started so emphatically against Australia all those years ago, met with a rabble-rousing eventuality on Monday night as the Three Lions striker struck a penalty to surpass Sir Bobby Charlton on the all-time scoring charts for his record-setting 50th goal.
The 29-year old inscribed his name in the hallmarks of England football as one of the true legends in the history of the team, but the question that now lingers is whether Rooney is certainly the greatest of them as well. While the Manchester United star has been through the thick of the things with the side for the past 11 years, in all honesty, he’s still some distance from being outrightly hailed as the best to ever grace the badge of the Three Lions.
Rooney has always stepped up to the plate to help his side earn a berth in the major competitions but flattered to deceive when it mattered the most. Since his debut for England more than a decade ago, the former Everton man has featured in 6 major tournaments with England and the best he has finished is a quarter-final appearance in three of them (2006 World Cup, Euro 2004 and Euro 2012).
What’s more significant is that only six of the half-century of strikes he’s accrued have come in those tournament propers, which doesn’t make for a good reading. Time is running out for Rooney as he has not many opportunities left to truly shine for his country.