How United's Goals Record Has Evolved

The magnitude of Wayne Rooney's achievement in becoming Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer should never be underestimated.

The skipper's strike at Stoke on Saturday took him to the magical figure of 250, uncharted territory for any previous Reds star - even the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton, whose mark he surpassed. It prompted us to take this look at who else has led the club's goalscoring chart in the past and how pole position has passed from one player to another.

EARLY PACESETTERS*
From the day Jack Doughty netted the first competitive goal for Newton Heath, against Fleetwood Rangers in 1886, the race to be the leading scorer has been a constant source of inspiration for anybody who has pulled on the club's shirt with attacking intent.

Alf Farman, Bob Donaldson and Joe Cassidy led the way in the 19th century but only a limited group of players have topped the charts ever since Sandy Turnbull set a new benchmark in 1915 when hitting his 101st goal for the Reds, in a win over Middlesbrough.

JOE SPENCE 102-168 GOALS
Joe Spence claimed his 102nd strike in October 1927, against Derby County, and pushed the bar higher to 168 by netting his final effort against Middlesbrough six years later. Spence's record stood for over 16 years, including the break for World War II, until Jack Rowley scored against Bolton Wanderers in 1949.

JACK ROWLEY 169-211 GOALS

Jack 'Gunner' Rowley, who participated in the D-Day landings in Normandy, went on to become the first player to smash the 200-goal barrier. By the time he moved to Plymouth Argyle as their player-manager in 1955, he'd left an impressive legacy at United by bagging his 211th strike. That came against Reading - the same opponents for Rooney's record-equalling opener in the FA Cup on 7 January 2017.

SIR BOBBY CHARLTON 212-249 GOALS
English footballing icon Sir Bobby was 'Mr Manchester United' and was such a loyal servant it appeared inevitable he would overtake Rowley, even though he was not an out-and-out striker. The historical moment arrived in November 1969 when he hit a brace in a 3-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur, however this was only judged retrospectively.

At the time, Charity Shield goals were not considered part of the tally which means both Rowley and Charlton's figures were three and two less, respectively. Hence, it was Sir Bobby's effort against AC Milan in the previous season's European Cup semi-final that was actually deemed to level the overall record, albeit with little of the fanfare that greets today's landmark occasions. A 1-0 win at Old Trafford was insufficient in overturning the two-goal deficit from the San Siro and that was clearly the bigger story. 

So, at the time, it was considered Charlton's strike against Crystal Palace that took him to the head of the scorers' list - in the opening game of the 1969/70 season, a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.

Sir Bobby bagged his final goal for the club, his 249th, in a 2-0 triumph at Southampton on 31 March 1973 and many would possibly have expected it to remain the record forever. However, that all began to change when Rooney joined the club and opened his account with three goals in his very first game. 

*Note: Figures calculated from pre-Football League do not include the Football Alliance. Turnbull's total was also boosted retrospectively with one Charity Shield goal.

Credit: Manutd.com