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| Wayne Rooney is hoping to break Sir Bobby Chartlon's England scoring record against San Marino |
WAYNE ROONEY is assured of being able to reflect upon one landmark this weekend.
But if it is only the anniversary of his first international goal, and not the shattering of a 45-year old record, then the forward will be more disappointed than most.
Precisely when Rooney reaches 50 goals, eclipses Sir Bobby Charlton and establishes himself as England's all-time leading scorer has developed into a saga he is anxious to resolve. Two more strikes and the honour is his.
"It's been mentioned for the last few games, it keeps coming up, so it'll be nice to finally do it and put it to the back of my mind," he said on the eve of tonight's Euro 2016 qualifier with minnows San Marino.
Rooney knows he will never get a better chance against a team comprised of a painter, a chemist, two bank workers and a barman, among others, and whose domestic season has still not started.
England won here 8-0 in March 2013 on a night when Rooney scored just once. In two recent meetings at Wembley, which both ended in 5-0 victories, he has scored three times. San Marino are, in scoring terms at least, his favourite opponent.
Yet back in a stadium more suited to non-League than international football, where it is Portakabins for changing rooms rather than jumpers for goalposts, Rooney accepts creating history may still not bring him the wider kudos he deserves.
While Charlton remains a regular visitor to the home dressing room at Old Trafford, and part of him will be pleased his record will fall to another Manchester United player, his status as a World Cup winner continues to cast its shadow.
"I don't know," said Rooney when asked if he felt his achievements are respected. "It's not something I'm too fussed about. As long as my managers and my team-mates understand and respect the job I do for them then that is what matters.
"The day they turn round and say they don't is the day it'll bother me. In terms of what other people think it doesn't really concern me.
"People were saying Messi wasn't Maradona because he hadn't won the World Cup with Argentina. In my mind, Messi is a better player than Maradona. But that's how football is.
"It's about the trophies you win. As a team, that's how you're judged.
"Sir Bobby did that. Hopefully there's still time for me to be successful like that."
If Rooney - who will match Charlton's haul of 106 caps - has changed as a player over the years, then his desire to succeed with England is as strong as when scoring that first goal 12-years ago tomorrow in a turgid 2-1 victory European Championship qualifier in Skopje, Macedonia.
His intervention was timely with Sven Goran Eriksson's side trailing until Emile Heskey headed down David Beckham's angled pass and a fresh-faced Rooney found the net from the edge of the penalty area with a right-foot finish.
Rooney seemed blissfully unaware but quipped: "I remember the 'keeper should probably have saved it."
England need only win to smooth their passage to next summer's finals with three games to spare and start what is a pivotal season for manager Roy Hodgson on the front foot.
Away from the main event, England's team will contain plenty of interesting sub-plots with Jonjo Shelvey making his first start and John Stones given an opportunity to look forward and not back on Chelsea's failed attempts to prize him from Everton.
The inclusion of Jamie Vardy, rather than Harry Kane, would be something of a surprise, but it is hardly a gamble against opponents ranked 193 in the world and nestled between the Seychelles and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Yet as has been the case since Rooney burst onto the scene, the spotlight falls on him once more.
England expects to the extent that the Football Association has teed up Charlton to present Rooney with a special award ahead of the Switzerland game on Tuesday if the record falls.
"We have never actually spoken about his record, but if there ia one person he hopes breaks then it is probably someone who plays for Manchester United," added Rooney.
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