Sir Bobby Charlton wants Wayne Rooney to break his goalscoring record

Sir Bobby Charlton has revealed that he has doubts over every position in England’s team, except for Wayne Rooney’s, insisting that the Manchester United striker has to start at the World Cup for the Three Lions.

The 28-year-old forward has been battling for fitness and form ahead of England’s World Cup campaign and there have been growing calls for Rooney to be dropped from the team.

Even Gary Lineker, England’s second top goalscorer behind only Charlton himself, recently claimed Rooney should be dropped.

With a vast array of attacking talent within Roy Hodgson’s squad, England are no longer short of options due to the emergence of several talented youngsters including Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge.

The 28-year-old is yet to score on the world stage for his nation and his place is no longer a certainty as a result.

However, although Rooney’s recent displays have been criticised, England’s all time top goalscorer Bobby Charlton is adamant he should be given a starting berth in Brazil, such is his talent and importance to the team.

“Wayne Rooney is the only one that comes to mind when you think of where are our class players coming from.

“Wayne Rooney will have to play. He’s just got that something extra. He will thrive, I think, on a successful performance in the World Cup.

“I think that a lot of the others are young, and they have an opportunity and they have something to prove, but it’s going to be difficult.”

“In every position there seems to be a little bit of doubt in my mind, apart from Wayne Rooney and even Wayne would want to play in certain positions, but it’s up to the manager,” he told reporters.

With Rooney now sitting tantalisingly close to the goal scoring record set by Charlton, the England legend has also admitted he wants the former Everton youngster to be the man to break it.

“I tell him that if anybody is going to beat my record for the number of goals scored [49 goals for England] it better be you, and I said so don’t let me down, and he says OK.

“He’s young enough and he has the ability. When he scores he likes the thought of it and he has a great attitude.

“I think that if everything goes well and he is not injured he will certainly be England’s great football player. He has a quality that is made for a World Cup.”

“I think the manager [Roy Hodgson] is very intelligent and I think that he will know exactly what he has got to do and, although I don’t think England can win the World Cup, I don’t think England will be ashamed either,” Charlton insisted.

Wayne Rooney has scored 38 goals for England, 11 short of Sir Bobby Charlton’s record total of 49.