England 2-0 Switzerland: Wayne Rooney breaks Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record after Harry Kane's strike

• Wayne Rooney scored from the spot again to become England's all-time top goalscorer with 50 goals
• Sir Bobby Charlton held the previous record since 1970, with Rooney taking the accolade on his 107th appearance
• Rooney has now scored in seven competitive matches for Roy Hodgson's side
• England continued their 100 per cent start to qualifying with Harry Kane's clever finish opening the scoring 
• The Tottenham striker made it two in as many games - and three in four - latching on to Luke Shaw's cross
• Rooney scored a late penalty won by Raheem Sterling to seal victory
• Fabian Delph lasted just nine seconds into the game after succumbing to a hamstring injury 

As Wayne Rooney’s team-mates set off in pursuit of the England captain, Wembley rose as one to salute the country’s greatest goalscorer. It was a fitting and giddy tribute.

Adulation and recognition for a player who has been doubted throughout his 12-year international career.

With football royalty in the shape of David Beckham on hand to witness history — making his way out to the edge of his executive box as Rooney waited to take his penalty — you knew something special was about to happen.

Wayne Rooney celebrates becoming England's all-time leading scorer after lashing home a penalty for his 50th goal in an England shirt

Rooney heads down the tunnel after an historic night with a massive weight lifted off the England captain's shoulders

Team-mates applaud their captain in the dressing room after Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing r
ecord

Rooney addresses his England team-mates following the game with England continuing their perfect start in Group E

Roy Hodsgon presents Rooney with the perfect memento after he became England's all-time record goalscorer

Rooney made no mistake from the spot, doubling England's tally for the night and claiming the prestigious accolade

Rooney watches as his crisp spot kick flies past Swiss keeper Jurgen Sommer and into the back of the net

An emotional Rooney kisses his hands as the reality hits home for the 29-year-old England captain 

Rooney looks to the skies as Harry Kane and Ross Barkley rush to congratulate England's all-time top scorer

The rest of Rooney's England team-mates mob the striker as Hodgson's team continued their 100 per cent qualifying campaign

Rooney applauds the home crowd at Wembley after an unforgettable night for the 29-year-old striker

Kane wheels away after firing his third England goal with the Spurs striker breaking the deadlock in the second half

Kane finished off a swift move from England with the goal coming at a crucial time to turn the game in the hosts' favour

Rooney watches an early chance go begging as England squandered the chance to take the advantage in the opening stages

Rooney is again in the thick of it as the striker bids to break Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing England goalscoring record

Joe Hart makes himself big and shows trademark bravery to thwart dangerman Xherdan Shaqiri in the first half

MATCH FACTS 

ENGLAND (4-3-3): Hart 7, Clyne 6 (Stones 68, 6), Cahill 6, Smalling 6.5, Shaw 7, Delph (Barkley (3) 6.5), Shelvey 5 (Kane (57) 7.5), Milner 6, Oxlade-Chamberlain 5.5, Rooney 7, Sterling 6.5
Subs not used: Butland, Gibbs, Walcott, Jagielka, Vardy, Mason, Heaton.
SWITZERLAND (4-3-3): Sommer 7, Lichtsteiner 6, Klose 6, Schar 6, Rodriguez 5.5, Behrami 6.5 (Dzemali (79) 6), Inler 7, Xhaka 7, Shaqiri 7.5, Drmic, 6 (Embolo (63) 6.5), Stocker, 6.5 (Seferovic (72) 6)
Subs not used: Hitz, Moubandje, von Bergen, Widmer, Fernandes, Kasami, Mehmedi, Lustenberger, Burki. 
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
Attendance: 75,751
Player ratings by Rob Draper at Wembley 

It was only last June, at the World Cup in Brazil, when Frank Lampard buried his head in his hands at the suggestion that Rooney could be dropped from this England team.

Rooney has matured into a first- class leader of men as Roy Hodgson heads towards his third major tournament in charge of his country.

Next month, when England face Estonia in another Euro 2016 qualifier, Sir Bobby and Gary Lineker will present Rooney with a golden boot before the game to honour this achievement. Inside the England dressing room after the final whistle, he was presented with a commemorative shirt with ‘50’ on the back and reluctantly made a short speech to the squad and coaching staff. Good on him.

You can be sure that he has never struck a penalty with more conviction than the one that hit the roof of Yann Sommer’s net in the 84th minute. He’d had to wait, keeping more than 75,000 supporters in the stadium on tenterhooks until he was given the penalty chance after Raheem Sterling had been felled.

Wembley lit up like a Robbie Williams concert, with the flashlights on mobile phones being switched on to record the moment when Rooney went ahead of the record he briefly shared with Sir Bobby Charlton.

Before that he’d had a couple of chances in open play, steering one effort wide of the Switzerland keeper’s far post in the first half and just failing to beat Sommer when he pounced on Gary Cahill’s header.

So what next for Rooney, who has scored in his last six competitive games at Wembley, after inching ahead of his idol in the record books?

He was a rampaging bull when he scored his first for England, belting the ball beyond Petar Milosevski from 20 yards in the 53rd minute during a Euro 2004 qualifier in Macedonia’s tiny Gradski Stadium. At the time he was just 17 years and 317 days old. Sven Goran Eriksson had a force of nature on his hands, a player capable of churning up the best defences in the world as the golden generation headed for the European Championships in Portugal.

It is there, unfairly, that many remember him at his peak, a brooding physical presence with the ability to score goals and set them up at the highest level. 

Fabian Delph lasted just nine seconds in the game with a hamstring injury ending the Manchester City man's night

Delph made the shortest-ever appearance in an England shirt with Roy Hodgson forced into a very early replacement

Ross Barkley was thrust into the action early, coming on as a substitute to replace the unfortunate Delph

Shaqiri poses with England players prior to kick-off and the Stoke City midfielder gave a fine account for himself at Wembley

Leicester's Gokhan Inler (left) was impressive, patrolling the midfield and protecting the back four from the likes of Raheem Sterling

Rooney looks unmoved as Stephan Lichtsteiner appeals for a foul during the World Cup qualifier

James Milner gets a shot in on goal despite the close attentions of Timm Klose but he couldn't break the deadlock

Sterling leaps over Klose as the Manchester City man attempts to launch a probe into Swiss territory

As England head towards next summer’s tournament in France, the captain insists he would swap the lot if it meant he could lift the trophy in Stade de France on July 10, 2016.

This was a good night to be an England fan, with a feelgood factor reverberating around the stadium after Harry Kane came off the substitutes’ bench to put England ahead.

When Kane reported for England duty last week, the Tottenham forward’s first act was to fend off accusations that he was a one- season wonder.

Seven days on and Kane added to his super-sub reputation, scoring the opener against Switzerland by finishing off a well-worked move with a sweet, left-foot shot from the edge of the area.

Between now and the finals in France, Hodgson’s job is to make sure that these players do not plod their way through the remaining group games and a few high-profile friendlies. 

Switzerland's Granit Xhaka clears a corner as a raft of England players are poised to pounce for the loose ball

Jonjo Shelvey, making back-to-back appearances in an England shirt, lets fly from distance but the effort flew well wide

Hodgson offers a consoling handshake to the departing Delph after the Manchester City midfielder suffered an early injury

There is room for experimentation, as there was with the inclusion of Jonjo Shelvey and Fabian Delph alongside James Milner in England’s midfield engine room.

Sadly Delph’s night was over within seconds, pulling up lame with a hamstring injury that will rule him out of Manchester City’s clash at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

When England lose the ball the opposition still have Joe Hart to beat. The Manchester City keeper has not conceded a goal in the opening six games of the season for club and country.

He was a spectator for the opening half hour here and yet he was alert enough to rush off his line and spread his body in front of the onrushing Xherdan Shaqiri. 

Rooney holds Romeo Beckham's hands as the England captain makes his 107th appearance for his country 

Wembley was far from full with the official attendance announced at 75,751, and many spectators left before the full-time whistle

Kane’s goal was well worked, with Rooney and Ross Barkley combining before the ball made its way to Luke Shaw down the left.

His angled ball wrong-footed Switzerland’s defence, giving Kane the chance to finish. It lifted the stadium and from then on it was a race against the clock to find a way for Rooney to complete the half- century. Now that he has done so, he can take his place among England’s greats.