Wayne Rooney's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Wayne Rooney. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Wayne Rooney, an English professional football manager and former player, is considered one of the best players of his generation and a British great. He holds the record for most goals scored for Manchester United and was England's top goalscorer from 2015-2023. Rooney also holds the record for England appearances by an outfield player. While primarily a forward, he played various midfield roles throughout his career.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2002: BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year

In December 2002, Wayne Rooney was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

February 2003: Youngest Player for England

In February 2003, Wayne Rooney became the youngest player to play for England at 17 years and 111 days old, earning his first cap in a friendly defeat against Australia at the Boleyn Ground. He came on at half-time.

February 2003: Senior International Debut for England

In February 2003, at the age of 17, Wayne Rooney made his senior international debut for England, becoming England's youngest-ever goalscorer.

June 2004: UEFA Euro 2004 and Youngest Scorer Record

In June 2004, at UEFA Euro 2004, Wayne Rooney became the youngest scorer in the competition's history on June 17, 2004, scoring twice in England's match against Switzerland. He added two more goals on June 21 in the match against Croatia but was later injured in the quarter-final on June 24. Despite the injury, Rooney was named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.

2004: UEFA Euro 2004 Performance

At UEFA Euro 2004, Wayne Rooney scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship.

January 2005: BBC Goal of the Season

In January 2005, Wayne Rooney's second goal in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough was named BBC Goal of the Season.

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2006: Champions League Quarter-Final Win

In April of 2007, Wayne Rooney scored two goals in an 8-3 aggregate Champions League quarter-final win over Roma.

October 2008: Youngest Player to 200 Premier League Appearances

On 4 October 2008, during an away win against Blackburn, Wayne Rooney achieved the milestone of becoming the youngest player to make 200 Premier League appearances.

2008: Ronaldo Jersey Sales

Cristiano Ronaldo's number 7 jersey was the best selling in 2008.

2008: England Player of the Year 2008

In 2008, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.

November 2009: First Hat-Trick in Three Years

On 28 November 2009, Wayne Rooney scored his first hat-trick for three years in a 4–1 away victory against Portsmouth, with two of the goals being penalties.

December 2009: Man of the Match and Goal Against Wigan

On 27 December 2009, Wayne Rooney was awarded Man of the Match against Hull City. He scored the opener and was involved in all the goals scored in the game, and on 30 December 2009, Rooney scored another goal as United beat Wigan 5–0.

2009: Manchester United Shirt Sales

During the 2009–10 season, Manchester United sold between 1.2 million and 1.5 million shirts.

2009: PFA and FWA Awards

For the 2009-10 season, Wayne Rooney won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards.

2009: England Player of the Year 2009

In 2009, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.

January 2010: Four Goals Against Hull & League Cup Winner

On 23 January 2010, Wayne Rooney scored all four goals in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Hull, his first time registering four goals in a single match. Then, on 27 January 2010, he scored the winner against Manchester City in the League Cup. Also on 31 January 2010, Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal against Arsenal.

February 2010: European Goals and League Cup Win

On 16 February 2010, Wayne Rooney scored two goals against Milan. On 28 February 2010, he scored against Aston Villa, resulting in Manchester United winning the League Cup final 2–1.

May 2010: Liverpool Schoolboys Goal Record

In May 2010, the record of 72 goals in one season for Liverpool Schoolboys, previously held by Wayne Rooney, was broken.

2010: Ankle Injury and PFA Player of the Year Award

In March 2010, Wayne Rooney twisted his ankle during a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Despite the injury, he played in the second leg. On 25 April 2010, Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year.

February 2011: Goal of the Season Award

In February 2011, Wayne Rooney scored a bicycle kick against Manchester City, which won the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award and the BBC's Match of the Day Goal of the Season award.

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May 2011: Premier League Title Secured

On 14 May 2011, Wayne Rooney scored a penalty against Blackburn, securing Manchester United's record 19th top division title.

July 2011: Best-Selling Jersey in Premier League

In July 2011, jerseys with Rooney's name and number (Rooney, 10) were the best-selling sports product under the auspices of the Premier League.

February 2012: 500th Career Game

On 11 February 2012, Wayne Rooney marked his 500th senior career game by scoring two goals as Manchester United beat rivals Liverpool 2–1 at Old Trafford.

October 2012: Fifth-Highest Goalscorer for England

In October 2012, Wayne Rooney became England's fifth-highest goalscorer of all time after scoring his 30th and 31st international goals in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against San Marino. He also captained England for the first time in a competitive match.

2012: Fifth Highest-Paid Footballer

In 2012, Rooney's reported income of US$32.6 million made him the world's fifth highest-paid footballer.

October 2013: England's All-Time Top Goalscorer in Competitive Internationals

On 11 October 2013, Wayne Rooney became England's all-time top goalscorer in competitive international matches when he scored his 27th competitive goal in a 4–1 World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.

March 2014: Rooney Reaches Third Place on Club's All-Time Scoring List

On March 22, 2014, Rooney achieved a significant milestone by scoring two goals for Manchester United in a match against West Ham. This accomplishment elevated him to third place on the club's all-time scoring list, with a total of 212 career goals.

September 2014: Rooney Becomes Third Highest Premier League Goalscorer and Receives a Red Card

On September 27, 2014, Rooney surpassed Thierry Henry to become the third-highest Premier League goalscorer with 176 goals in a 2–1 victory against West Ham. However, in the same match, he was sent off for a foul on Stewart Downing, resulting in a three-game suspension.

October 2014: Reached 10 Million Twitter Followers

In October 2014, Rooney became the first Premier League footballer to reach 10 million followers on Twitter, ranking among the top footballers and UK individuals on the platform.

November 2014: Rooney Wins 100th England Cap

On November 15, 2014, Wayne Rooney earned his 100th England cap against Slovenia in a Euro 2016 qualifying match, scoring a penalty to equalize in a 3–1 win.

June 2015: Rooney Equals Gary Lineker's Goal Record

In June 2015, in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, Wayne Rooney scored his 48th international goal, putting him joint second in England's list alongside Gary Lineker.

September 2015: Breaks England Goalscoring Record

In September 2015, Wayne Rooney broke Bobby Charlton's England goalscoring record, netting his 50th international goal from a penalty in a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, equalling Ashley Cole as his country's fifth-highest capped player.

2015: England's record goalscorer

In 2015, Wayne Rooney became the record goalscorer for the England national team, a title he held until 2023.

2015: England Player of the Year 2015

In 2015, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.

January 2016: Rooney Becomes Premier League's Second Top Scorer

In January 2016, Rooney achieved multiple milestones. On January 2nd, he scored in a 2–1 win over Swansea to move ahead of Cole as the Premier League's second-top scorer of all time. Later in January, he surpassed Denis Law in United's top scorers of all time, with 238 goals.

August 2016: Rooney Wins Second Title as Club Captain

On August 7, 2016, Rooney assisted Jesse Lingard's opening goal in Manchester United's 2–1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield. This win marked Rooney's second title as the club's captain.

September 2016: Most-Capped Outfield Player for England

In September 2016, Wayne Rooney earned his 116th appearance for England, making him the nation's most-capped outfield player of all time. He also confirmed his retirement from international football after the 2018 World Cup.

November 2016: Rooney Achieves 100 Premier League Assists

On November 6, 2016, Rooney became only the third player ever to achieve 100 Premier League assists, setting up both of Zlatan Ibrahimović's goals in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City. On November 24, Rooney overtook Ruud van Nistelrooy to become Manchester United's all-time leading scorer in European competitions with 39 goals in a 4-0 win over Feyenoord.

2016: Euro 2016 and Loss Against Iceland

During England's opening match of UEFA Euro 2016 against Russia in June 2016, Wayne Rooney was named man of the match. On June 27, he scored against Iceland. However, England lost the match 2-1 and was eliminated from the tournament.

January 2017: Equals and Surpasses Bobby Charlton's Goalscoring Record

In January 2017, Rooney reached a major milestone. On January 7th, he scored against Reading in the FA Cup, equalling Bobby Charlton as Manchester United's top goalscorer of all time with his 249th goal. Then, on January 21st, Rooney surpassed Charlton, becoming the outright leading scorer for Manchester United with his 250th goal against Stoke City.

May 2017: Scoring the Final Goal at White Hart Lane and Winning the Europa League

In May 2017, Rooney marked a significant moment by scoring the final goal at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane stadium on May 14th in a 2–1 defeat. In his last game for Manchester United on May 24th, Rooney came on as a substitute as United beat Ajax 2–0 to win the UEFA Europa League.

2017: Southgate on Rooney's Talent

In 2017, Gareth Southgate acknowledged Rooney as one of England's top players, alongside Paul Gascoigne and Paul Scholes, during his time with the England setup.

October 2018: Named MLS Player of the Month

In October 2018, Rooney was named 'MLS Player of the Month' after delivering positive performances for D.C. United, including a last-ditch tackle and a game-winning assist. This recognition highlighted his impact on the team and his contributions to their success.