Summary
Harry Kane surpassed Rooney's England goal record, now outscoring him by nearly 20 goals at 71, which the latter had predicted back in 2015.
Rooney also predicted two other England internationals to eclipse his record of 53 goals in 120 international caps.
It's safe to say his other predictions were wrong, as both Premier League stars ended up getting nowhere near half-a-century of England goals.
Back in 2015, Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney boldly predicted that three players might one day eclipse his England goalscoring record. At the time, the 29-year-old had just broken Sir Bobby Charlton's 45-year-old record by netting his 50th goal for the Three Lions.
Charlton, his legendary World Cup-winning predecessor, was confident Rooney would go on to extend his tally to such heights that it would be practically untouchable. But Rooney wasn’t so sure - as he told the Manchester Evening News - and he wrapped up his international career just one tournament later with 53 goals in 120 caps.
Indeed, Rooney will remain among the greatest English footballers until the end of time. But who were the three players he thought might topple his throne - and what has become of them since?
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Harry Kane
71 England goals
Harry Kane
Former Tottenham talisman Harry Kane was the main reason Rooney was nervously looking over his shoulder upon his international retirement, and he had every reason to be doing so. Kane is the only player he predicted to beat his record who actually did so, doing it in convincing fashion.
With 71 goals in 105 caps, Kane has now outscored Rooney by nearly 20 goals. At just 31 years old, it seems likely he could add another 20 to his tally before calling time on his international career. He has already scored twice under new manager Thomas Tuchel as the Three Lions set the wheels in motion for their 2026 World Cup campaign, while his goalscoring form at Bayern Munich could yet see him end his trophy drought with a Bundesliga and Champions League double this term.
Raheem Sterling
20 England goals
Raheem Sterling during a pre-match warm-up at Arsenal
Raheem Sterling was one of the most clinical wingers during the peak years of his Liverpool and Manchester City career. And there's a popular saying in England that, no matter how much his club form dipped during his later years, he never let his country down. That sentiment was reflected in his key contributions during the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020, as he was one of Gareth Southgate's trusted senior figures.
However, while his performances rarely dropped below a certain level, Sterling didn’t find the back of the net as often as he might have hoped, with just 20 goals in 82 caps to his name. Now at Arsenal (on loan from Chelsea), his lack of game time suggests he might not get many opportunities to add to that tally anytime soon, which is the sad reality of a wide man once considered among the very best. See the list of England's top 10 goalscorers below:
England's all-time top goalscorers
Player
Harry Kane
Wayne Rooney
Sir Bobby Charlton
Gary Lineker
Jimmy Greaves
Michael Owen
Sir Tom Finney
Nat Lofthouse
Alan Shearer
Frank Lampard
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Ross Barkley
6 England goals
Ross Barkley in action for England
Operating primarily as an attacking midfielder throughout his entire career, Ross Barkley was never the main source of goals during his time at clubs like Everton, Chelsea, Luton Town, and now Aston Villa. In fact, during his best years for the Toffees, he scored just 27 goals in 179 appearances, despite long-time manager Roberto Martinez predicting he would become England's best-ever player.
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So, while Rooney’s prediction that Barkley would surpass 53 goals for the national team already seemed far-fetched, his career path didn’t exactly follow the script, either. A combination of injuries and inconsistent form prevented Barkley from reaching those heights, limiting him to just 33 caps and six goals for England. After having been one of the Premier League signings of the 2023/24 season, there was hope that he might find himself back in the fold, but he's been playing a bit-part role at Villa Park this time around.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt (correct as of 30/03/2025)