Tuesday 22 August 2017 09:09, UK
Wayne Rooney scored the 200th Premier League goal of his career as Everton drew 1-1 away to Manchester City.
Rooney slotted home the opening goal of the game for the visitors before Raheem Sterling earned City a point despite being down to 10-men due to Kyle Walker's red card.
The 31-year-old forward, scoring for the second consecutive game following his return to Everton, joins Alan Shearer as the only man to net 200 goals in the competition.
He remains 60 goals shy of Shearer's tally but moves further clear of third-placed Andy Cole who scored 187 times. Rooney's form suggests there are more to come.
"Tonight he had a big impact on the final result," Everton boss Ronald Koeman told Sky Sports afterwards.
Rooney also covered more ground than any other Everton player on the night, 10.68 kilometres, and the former England captain had a quick quip for his critics afterwards.
"It is not bad for someone who is not fit any more and cannot get about the pitch," he told Sky Sports. "I have always put a shift in for the team."
All of a sudden, people might start to celebrate him a little bit more.
His former England coach Gary Neville believes that sort of criticism could soon be coming to an end, having detected a shift in mood surrounding the player.
"It is as if over the last two or three years people really would not have been satisfied until they saw him out of the England squad and away from the Manchester United team," said Neville on Monday Night Football.
"All of a sudden, people might start to celebrate him a little bit more."
