Gary Lineker believes Wayne Rooney is among the "very best" players to have played for England as the striker closes in on the national team's all-time scoring record.
Rooney's 47 goals for England means he currently sits third in the list of top-scorers, one behind Lineker and two short of equalling Bobby Charlton's all-time best 49.
The 29-year-old could match or even break Charlton's record during England's Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia on Sunday and Lineker believes he should be considered among this country's top players.
"I very much hope he breaks the record and, barring something catastrophic, I'm sure he will," said Lineker, speaking at the launch of BT Sport's European football coverage.
"There are a lot of games coming up where he will fancy his chances and I wish him well - it will be a brilliant achievement as and when it happens.
"You don't focus on the record when you're on the pitch because you have to focus on doing your job. If he scores a hat-trick obviously he will know, but good luck to him."
Lineker added: "Certainly in the last few years he's been playing up front in a team that's been very much found wanting on the big stage, so it's not always happened for him at major tournaments.
"But for him to score that many goals (47) at a good ratio makes him one of our very best players."
While Rooney has often starred for England in qualifying matches, the Manchester United forward has struggled to deliver at World Cups, where he has scored only one goal in 11 appearances during three tournaments.
"Everyone wishes they could turn it on at the World Cup but it doesn't always work out like that," said Lineker, who scored 10 goals in 12 World Cup matches in 1986 and 1990.
"He was arguably player of the tournament in 2004 until he got injured, which was a pity because England could have gone on to win it if he had stayed fit.
"I was lucky that things went my way at two World Cups but I never did anything at European Championships.
"Look at Lionel Messi - he is one of the greatest players of all time, but he's never won the World Cup with Argentina.
"But look at Rooney's record in club football - heaven knows what his trophy cabinet must look like. That tells you how good he is.
"Is he England's greatest striker? It's not easy to compare players from different eras and he's got a lot about his game - he's not just an out-and-out goalscorer like I was, he's played in many different positions for England.
"Whether he's better than Michael Owen, Jimmy Greaves or Bobby Charlton is not easy to say, but he's up there with the very best."
Owen, who scored 40 goals for England between 1998 and 2008, thought he would break the record himself before being frozen out by Fabio Capello.
The former Liverpool striker believes Rooney can also become Manchester United's top-scorer - he is currently 19 short of Charlton's 249 - and has many years left in him yet.
"I think he will probably go one to break both the England record and the Man United record as well, which would be an amazing feat," Owen said.
"He is not the kind of player that really loses a yard of pace, and if he does I don't think it would affect him as much as someone like myself.
"It just depends what type of striker you are. I think Wayne has got longevity. I think he could probably go on and play for a long time."
Source: PA
