Wayne Rooney: I should have scored more, I'm not a natural goalscorer
Wayne Rooney may be Manchester United and England's record goalscorer, but he insists that he should have racked up even more goals during his career, even though he was not a natural finisher.
Rooney joined United in 2004, after emerging as a teenage sensation at Everton, and went on to score 253 goals in 559 appearances during a 13-year spell for the Old Trafford club that saw the Red Devils pile up the trophies.
He surpassed 1966 World Cup-winner Bobby Charlton as United's all-time leading scorer, just as he did for England with a tally of 53 goals from 120 caps.
Despite those figures Rooney, writing in his Sunday Times column, said: "I'm going to be honest - and this might surprise you - but I'm not a natural goalscorer."
The 34-year-old, now a player-coach at second-tier Derby County, added: "I was never a Gary Lineker or a Ruud van Nistelrooy; I never looked at myself that way.
"I hold the goal records for Manchester United and England and am very proud about that - yet there have been better No. 9s than me.
"How did I become a record-breaker if I wasn't a natural scorer? Time," Rooney explained. "I played for United for 13 years, England for 15 years. I had time to break those records - and looking back, I should have scored more."
Rooney backed Harry Kane to break his England record, although he would like the Tottenham Hotspur striker "to stay high as that No. 9" after seeing him drop deeper in during the past two seasons.
"I've never been a selfish player and it would be great for England for Harry to get there. Bobby Charlton had to wait 50 years (for Rooney to break his England record) - I hope it's not so long for me." - AFP
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