Reliving the highs and lows of Wayne Rooney's England career

A trophy would have been the perfect cherry to top off Wayne Rooney's England career.

Yet, despite the lack of silverware, Rooney will likely be held in high esteem whenever England's best footballers are debated in the coming years and decades.

His was a career that both began on a historic note and virtually ended with him etching his name in the history books. But it was also one that featured a number of questionable and daft moments that likely, and unfortunately, stand out more in the eyes of his many critics.

Here's a look at the highs and lows of Rooney's 14 years as an England international:

Youngest player to score for England

Representing England was a no-brainer for a 17-year-old Rooney, who was eligible to represent Ireland before declaring, "I am English through and through."

Several months after making his debut, and becoming the youngest to win an England cap, Rooney foreshadowed a career that would be littered with goals when he became the youngest scorer in the country's illustrious history with the first of his 53 goals in 2003.

Argument with former teammate Ronaldo at World Cup

Speculation over Cristiano Ronaldo's future as a Manchester United player had just begun. But, by the time the 2006 World Cup was over, the football world was convinced the Portuguese star would be sold before the 2006-07 term kicked off after a squabble with Rooney.

Before the match official sent Rooney off during the quarterfinal encounter against Portugal, Ronaldo drew the ire of England and United supporters when he encouraged the referee to show Rooney a red card for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.

The two sorted out their differences and Ronaldo went on to play another few seasons before taking off to Spain.

Wildest dream comes true: named England captain

Over a decade after making his debut, Rooney was delighted to be handed the captain's armband on a permanent basis following Steven Gerard's retirement.

"To be appointed captain is beyond my wildest dreams," Rooney admitted shorty after his appointment.

In typical fashion, Rooney celebrated the occasion with a goal to lead England to a 1-0 win over Norway. He went on to captain England another 22 times.

Criticises fans for booing England

The 2010 World Cup was supposed to be the year England cruised into the knockout stage after being lumped in a group dubbed "E.A.S.Y" - an acronym that became popular after the Three Lions were included with Algeria, Slovenia, and the USA (Yanks) - and the best English group since the Beatles.

Yet, England and Rooney quickly learned that the competition was far from easy during a goalless draw with Algeria, which prompted England supporters to shower the players with boos as they left the pitch.

As Rooney headed toward the tunnel, he triggered a storm of controversy all the way from South Africa when he looked to the camera and said, "Nice to see your own fans booing, you football supporters."

Passes Sir Bobby Charlton's scoring record

The manner in which Rooney eclipsed one of the most revered individual records in England could've only been less spectacular if he'd accomplished the feat on a patchy pitch in San Marino, which is where he equaled the English legend's mark.

But few will forget the moment when Rooney netted his 50th to surpass Charlton's record, as supporters around Wembley Stadium erupted with joy when he converted a penalty during England's Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland.

Photo controversy tarnishes final match

Celebrating a win over rival Scotland, Rooney found himself at the centre of another controversy when a photograph emerged showing the English star looking a little worse for wear.

According to a spokesperson, the vulnerable player was taken advantage of when fans attempted to damage his reputation by snapping pictures of Rooney, who showed obvious signs of a heavy drinking session.

It was an unfortunate incident after what would ultimately be Rooney's final match as England's captain.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)