England secured their place at the 2016 European Championships with a 6-0 victory over San Marino, with a dominant display.
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One of the contest’s subplots was Wayne Rooney’s bid to overtake Bobby Charlton as the Three Lions’ top scorer of all time.
The Manchester United striker scored once—to equal Charlton’s record—but was unable to bag a second and overtake the World Cup winner.
In this feature, we rate Rooney and his teammates on their performance vs. San Marino.
Joe Hart 6.5: Rarely tested, but appeared to deal with the uneven San Marino turf and made a save from a late effort inside the final ten minutes.
Nathaniel Clyne 7: An encouraging display by the new Liverpool full-back, who sought to press forward where possible. His touch occasionally let him down, but the right-back gave further evidence that he should be England’s first choice at right-back.
John Stones 7: Appeared uncomfortable on the uneven pitch, but relished the physical battle posed by San Marino’s forwards.
Phil Jagielka 6: An assured partner for Stones, and the pair’s understanding from club level could serve England well in France next summer.
Luke Shaw 7.5: Will only grow into the role of Ashley Cole’s long-term successor, and was a menacing attacking threat down the left flank.
James Milner 7.5: His energy and dynamism keeps England ticking over and ensures that the intensity remains—particularly against weaker opponents—but should be invaluable chasing down and hassling the stronger teams next summer.
Jonjo Shelvey 8: A truly impressive performance by the Swansea City midfielder—one of the outstanding performances of the Premier League season—although it’s worth pointing out that he was afforded much space by the San Marino midfield.
Ross Barkley 7.5: A fine goal and an inspired display. He was involved in the build-up play and was a menace in the box. If he can avoid injury concerns, he could be a key man this summer.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 7: Amidst the many candidates for an attacking midfield role, Oxlade-Chamberlain risks getting lost in the shuffle. His electric performance against San Marino may just establish himself in Hodgson’s plans.
Jamie Vardy 7: Energy was impressive, and Vardy was clearly desperate to make the most of an opportunity that looked to have passed him by. Will he be able to do enough over the coming months to guarantee a spot in the starting XI.
Wayne Rooney 7: He equalled Bobby Charlton’s record, and contributed an assist for Barkley’s goal, but perhaps should have overtaken the Red Devils great altogether.
Subs
Fabian Delph 6: Featured for the last half an hour and was a tidy presence.
Harry Kane 7: Was unfortunate not to start, but made his point with a fine goal after replacing Rooney.
Theo Walcott 7: Another player who reminded Hodgson of his qualities—found the net with his first touch, and didn’t stop there…adding a second before the game was up.