As you almost certainly know, Wayne Rooney has drawn level with Bobby Charlton at the top of Manchester United’s all-time goalscoring charts.
Or has he?
Rooney moved onto 249 goals with an early strike against Reading in the FA Cup, equalling the number that Charlton racked up for the club. Or so everyone thought.
But now it has emerged that the 1966 World Cup winner might actually have ended up on 251.
249 – Wayne Rooney is now Manchester United’s joint-highest scorer of all-time along with Bobby Charlton (249). History. pic.twitter.com/9w5sbRG7vR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 7, 2017
The confusion concerns an Anglo-Italian Cup match against Verona, in which Charlton scored twice in a 4-1 win.
However, as the Independent notes, United consider Charlton’s league appearance at Chelsea a few days earlier to be his last appearance for the club in ‘a first-class game competition’.
“Sir Bobby subsequently played in the Anglo-Italian Cup, away to Verona on 2 May, and scored twice in United’s 4-1 win. However, this game is not counted as one of his 758 competitive appearances,” United’s official site explains.
The so-called ‘missing goals’ are not recognised by United’s club historian, though, meaning Charlton ‘officially’ ended up on 249. But we’re sure to see it debated far and wide.
After all, Rooney’s goal tally includes three strikes in the 2008 Club World Cup – against Gamba Osaka and LDU Quito – so why shouldn’t Charlton’s Anglo-Italian Cup efforts be counted?
Sad that the Man Utd club historian doesn't rate the Anglo-Italian Cup, a cup in which Notts County somehow played vs Gheorghe Hagi in 1994. pic.twitter.com/HvIRLgJQGK
— Adam Hurrey (@FootballCliches) January 7, 2017
Why don't Man Utd count Bobby Charlton's two away goals in the Anglo-Italian cup then? Pele would've.
— Matthew Phillips (@matt_the_jack) January 7, 2017
Charlton scored two in Anglo Italian Cup which are inexplicably omitted…he is still two behind…
— The MUFC Academy 🥇🔴⚪️⚫️🐝🍷 (@mrmujac) January 7, 2017
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