Wayne Rooney’s England goalscoring record is under threat on two fronts ahead of a packed summer schedule.
While most of the attention has been focused on Harry Kane getting within four of Rooney’s 53, Ellen White mentioned half a century for the women’s team against North Macedonia last week and will have the first chance to reach the first Market Stall.
Here, the Pennsylvania News Agency takes a look at the race for the record.
flight form
Kane and White are putting together impressive scoring runs, with Kane scoring 15 goals in his last 12 internationals, while White has 21 in 22 games before Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.
That streak has seen the latter reach her half-century in England in two games fewer than Rooney, 105, while Kane has 49 in just 69 appearances.
Rooney and White each scored just 26 after that many games and have held similar records ever since.
Rooney’s run of six goals in five games in 2012 and 2013, up to his 81st cap, sees him leading the head-to-head comparison with White 35-29 at that stage, but White narrowed the gap with a similar sequence in the 2019 World Cup to start his ongoing hot streak.
Her hat-trick against Northern Ireland put her level with Rooney after 94 caps and seven in five matches against North Macedonia, Northern Ireland, Latvia (twice) and Austria moved her slightly ahead of Rooney’s pace and the She became the Lionesses’ record goalscorer.
Kane’s three goals against Albania and four against San Marino in consecutive games in November allowed him to reach the overall record earlier than expected.
Then a goal against Switzerland saw him join Sir Bobby Charlton for second in the men’s scoring charts, and in far fewer games, and whoever comes in first on the record, Kane’s scoring rate will be far higher than everyone else’s. their rivals.
upcoming calendar
White scored a hat-trick against Northern Ireland last February and another hat-trick this time would see her share the record.
If that doesn’t happen, Kane will get the next chance with Gareth Southgate’s side playing four games in the Nations League before the women take the field.
Two of them are against Hungary, frequent opponents of England who limited Kane to one goal in two World Cup qualifiers at the end of 2021, while Germany and Italy are sure to be a tough test too as Kane seeks four goals in the four. games to match the record.
- England Women v Northern Ireland (a), 12 April
- England Men v Hungary (a), June 4
- England Men v Germany (a), June 7
- England Men v Italy (h), June 11
- England Men v Hungary (h), June 14
- England Women v Belgium (h), June 16
- England Women v Netherlands (h), June 24
The focus would then turn to White, with the Lionesses taking on Belgium and the Netherlands later in June and then Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland in July.
Even if those five games aren’t enough for White, Sarina Wiegman’s team will face Austria and Luxembourg in September before the men’s return games with Italy and Germany.
what they say
After moving to 50 goals and charting ahead of Kane and Charlton, behind only Rooney, White told ITV Sport: “It’s an amazing feeling to be around those amazing players, it’s really lovely.”
Kane said last month: “I would love to break that record. Hopefully, with the games we have this year, that will be possible. I’m in a really good place right now.”
For the latter, there remains the specter of breaking the record in an empty stadium, as the matches in Hungary and at home to Italy will be played behind closed doors due to the crowd problems of the respective hosts in recent games.
Southgate said: “That would be very unfortunate. For both countries it is a punishment because our fans and the fans (from Hungary) were not able to control themselves.
“That is a shame for us, but it is the situation we have. It would be particularly sad if that was the game in which Harry broke the record.”
