Rooney breaks Sir Bobby Charlton's record with stunner vs. Stoke

Stoke and Manchester United shared the spoils at the bet365 Stadium as Wayne Rooney's late equaliser cancelled out Juan Mata's first-half own goal.

Wayne Rooney has become the highest goalscorer in the Manchester United after scoring a thumping free-kick against Stoke City.

Sir Bobby Charlton says Wayne Rooney is "a true great for club and country" after the striker broke his Manchester United all-time goalscoring record.

After the game, the 31-year-old talked of his delight at breaking the record, which he had equalled by scoring in the 4-0 FA Cup win against Reading at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Seeing Rooney break his long-standing record must have been a bitter-sweet moment for Charlton, who remains a fiercely passionate United supporter.

"I am very proud", he told Sky Sports.

Rooney had a career before he joined Manchester United at 18, starring for a decade as a Scouse supernova blazing across the junior ranks in Merseyside.

ReutersJuan Mata shoots over against Stoke

'I have seen first-hand since becoming captain of United and England, players have to realise that the media has a huge influence on the game, and especially on the young England players, they are the ones who have to go out and perform under the huge pressures.

Although Manchester United enjoyed a great deal of possession, they just couldn't get the goal their play merited. "We did that in a couple of matches but even in the games that we won - and I remember Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace - it is always very hard for us to score goals".

"It's an excellent record and for the young strikers coming through, Wayne has set a great example for them and we look up to him as a great leader and role model", said the 24-year-old Lingard.

On the scale of Rooney's achievement, Joyce added: "To be fair, he doesn't need people like me talking about him". To surpass him in goals is something I never thought I'd do. "It is the record of the biggest club in England and one of the biggest in the world".

"But a top team has to be much more clinical".

The biggest culprit was Mata - who had a torrid afternoon and was eventually replaced by Rooney - who missed a glorious opportunity to equalise after some good work from Zlatan Ibrahimovic down the left hand side.

"Obviously in the Premier League, we have drawn too many matches, and today you saw why we draw too many matches".