Wayne Rooney’s record strike gives England 3-2 win in Euro qualifiers

England are on a fast track to Euro 2016 having won six games out of six in qualifying Group E, although they needed an 86th-minute winner from Rooney to secure victory in Ljubljana.

Milivoje Novakovic gave Slovenia the lead in the 37th minute at the Stozice Stadium before Jack Wilshere broke his
international duck with a pair of brilliant, almost identical second-half goals to put England ahead.

Slovenia substitute Nejc Pecnik appeared to have rescued a point with an 84th-minute equaliser, but moments later
Rooney atoned for two glaring earlier misses by scoring his 48th England goal, taking him level with Gary Lineker and leaving him one goal behind all-time leading scorer Bobby Charlton.

“It’s great to score the winner, but it was a great team performance,” captain Rooney told ITV.

England are six points clear at the top of the section from Switzerland, who came from behind to beat Lithuania 2-1
in Vilnius. Fiodor Cernych put the home side ahead in the second half but Josip Drmic equalised soon after for the Swiss before Xherdan Shaqiri of Inter Milan got the winning goal six minutes from time.

In the group’s other game, Sergei Zenjov scored two goals either side of half-time as Estonia defeated minnows San
Marino — England’s next opponents in September — 2-0 in Tallinn.

Meanwhile, Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 winners Spain made it five victories from six games in Group C by beating Belarus 1 -0 at the Borisov Arena in Barysaw.

Manchester City’s David Silva got the only goal of the game in Vicente del Bosque’s 100th match in charge of La Roja,
controlling a Cesc Fabregas free-kick at the back post and volleying in.