In-depth: Wayne Rooney 'deserves his place in history' after reaching 50 mark

Wayne Rooney will wake up tomorrow morning with the England goalscoring record and the captaincy of club and country for company. And the Manchester United goalscoring record in his sights. At the age of 29. And there will still be people who look on and ask: Where did it all go wrong? There will still be people who believe he is over-rated, there will still be people who believe he has under-achieved. They are worthy arguments. But after overtaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s tally of 49 international goals, not a hint of shine should be stripped from a magnificent feat.

Here we are still talking about a record set in the pre-modern age – and not in itself a particularly tough or distant looking record – the passing of which represents not so much a fresh glorious peak or a scandalous intrusion, as a simple case of exorcism. English football’s relentlessly underwhelming present has, very belatedly, caught up with the onerous past. For this, at least, ridding us of this noble relic of a goal record, for dragging the national team forward towards something resembling the modern world – the 1980s here we come – Rooney deserves our thanks.

Rooney has not become the undisputed legend that England expected of its teenage wizard. Cristiano Ronaldo, who became a Manchester United team-mate after Euro 2004, once Everton sold Rooney for £28m, has long since surpassed him. By Ronaldo's final season at United, the 2008-09 campaign that brought a third Premier League title in a row and a second consecutive Champions League final, Rooney was a lesser star in Ronaldo's galaxy. Ronaldo, incidentally, hit his 50th goal for Portugal against Ghana at the last World Cup, taking 114 matches to do so, but has scored a half-century for five seasons in a row for Real Madrid, while Rooney has never been beyond 34 for his club.

Rooney's achievements must not be downplayed and he fully deserves a place in history. The goals are in the record books. The Rooney story is the narrative of England's last decade. He has been present in dark times as well as light, the consummate competitor, dressing room inspiration, team man and the England player opponents feared most. From Sven-Goran Eriksson through to Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson, every England manager has wanted Rooney in his team - which speaks eloquently for his importance.

At 22, Harry Kane has two goals - Rooney at the same age had 14. At 25, Danny Welbeck has 14 goals - Rooney at the same age had 26. At 26, Daniel Sturridge has five goals - Rooney at the same age had 28. That is a proper context. There is too much negativity about Rooney, the boy from Croxteth who made English football sit up and take note when he swaggered on to centre stage at the age of 16. Perhaps there is a little too much focus on what he has supposedly not gone on to achieve in his career when he should be treasured.