Wayne Rooney equals all-time Manchester United scoring record with 249th goal

Wayne Rooney turned 31 just a few months ago, suggesting there may be as much as half a decade left to run on his career. Yet the Manchester United forward is treated like a legend in the twilight of his playing days. That’s because Rooney, who broke out as a 16-year-old with Everton, has been in stark decline in the last few years.

Whereas five years ago, he twice scored 26 Premier League goals or more in the span of three seasons, he has just one in the league so far this year. Under Jose Mourinho, he has slowly slipped further down the pecking order.

Going into Saturday’s FA Cup third-round match with Reading, the Liverpudlian had a mere three goals to show for a half season of work. The last time Rooney failed to tally fewer than 14 goals in all competitions was in the 2003-2004 season, when he was 19. And considering that every season there are more questions about whether Rooney still fits into and belongs at United, his chances of equaling, let along breaking, Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time scoring record at the fabled club looked to be diminishing.

So when Rooney finally scored his 249th goal for the club on Saturday, equaling Charlton in a vintage display, the relief was abundant.

Goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi denied Rooney early in a one-on-one showdown. But in the seventh minute, Anthony Martial ran at the defense, beat a man, fed Juan Mata who chipped to Rooney. After a United career of mostly majestic goals, he notched his name beside another record by dinking the ball in off his knee, a fortunate score. It counted all the same. And Sir Bobby Charlton cheered in the stands. Sir Alex Ferguson, the longtime United manager who signed and nurtured Rooney and coached him through his prime, smiled a rare smile.

Rooney wasn’t finished, though. At a quarter of an hour, his give-and-go with Martial sent the Frenchman dancing through the lines and he scored with a surgical finish. That made it 2-0 in a game that would wind up 4-0 to United.

Like the Rooney of old, he created chances all over, unlocking the Reading defense easily. Several times, he positioned Marcus Rashford to score. But the teenaged forward hit the side netting once, hesitated too long another time and saw Rooney’s low cross toed away by a defender at the last moment on a third occasion.

In the 55th minute, Rooney almost went and claimed the record all to himself. Marouane Fellaini’s shot was stopped by Al-Habsi. Rooney pounced on the rebound but the goalkeeper cleared it with his leg.

But it was Rashford who would get the remainder of the goals, ending a scoring drought that was going on four months. Michael Carrick dispatched him on his first goal, sending the speedy striker through one-on-one with Al-Habsi, whom he beat simply.

A short while later, the Omani goalie badly misplayed a routine ball and gifted Rashford the ball with a wide-open goal and a mere half-yard to bridge.

Rooney’s all-time scoring record will have to wait until another day. But it will surely come.

Leander Schaerlaeckens is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. Follow him on Twitter @LeanderAlphabet.