Alan Shearer has told Wayne Rooney it’s about time he delivered at a World Cup — but has backed the striker to go on and break Sir Bobby Charlton’s long-standing England goals record.

On the grandest stage, Rooney is yet to score. He was an injured imitation of himself at the 2006 competition, which ended with a red card against Portugal in the quarter-finals.

In 2010 he criticised his own supporters on camera after the dourest of draws against Algeria. ‘He probably hasn’t yet gone to a World Cup in the best of fitness and you can’t argue with his record at international level overall,’ Shearer said.

It's time! Wayne Rooney needs to perform at a World Cup,
says former England striker Alan Shearer

‘He’s got 38 goals for England — 11 short of Bobby Charlton’s record, and I think he will go on to break it.

‘But he needs to have a big tournament with England and, if he does that, he will be the key to us having a successful World Cup. Listen, I’m a fan of Rooney. I think he ticks all the boxes as a player.

Hot shot: Shearer, pictured scoring at World Cup '98, believes
Rooney will break England's goal scoring record

'But for him to be put in the same bracket as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, he needs to have a great tournament in Brazil.

'Although having said that, Messi has yet to set the place on fire at a World Cup too.’

Alan Shearer will be a BBC pundit during the World Cup in Brazil.