A few hours after he became Manchester United’s record goalscorer, the club’s marketing department were, true to form, announcing their range of Wayne Rooney memorabilia – mugs and shirts all bearing the number 250.

However, now he has broken Sir Bobby Charlton’s record how much longer will Rooney remain at Old Trafford? He will always be a part of the fabric of Manchester United’s history but when asked if Rooney might move to China or the United States, his manager, Jose Mourinho, said he would not stand in his way. By this, Mourinho meant not that he wanted to push Rooney out of the exit doors but that the striker had earned the right to decide his own future.

The Manchester United manager said he was not one of those who condemned footballers who went to China. They were no more mercenaries than those who come to the Premier League for very large cheques.

"It is up to him,” Mourinho said, when asked if Rooney could end up in the Chinese Super League. “I don’t like to be critical of those who go to China. It is their life. The money is huge; the experience can also be interesting. I know some of my colleagues think they are more important than they are and that they can interfere in the lives of other people but I am not that sort of guy. Everybody is responsible for their own career. In Wayne’s case I have no idea because he has never mentioned it to me.

“I think he has more to give us but, I repeat, you reach a certain level in your career when it is up to him. Could anyone have been critical of Zlatan Ibrahimovic if last season he decided to go to China or the USA – one guy who has had this amazing career? It is the same with Wayne.”

Ibrahimovic was similarly full of praise for Rooney in the wake of a 1-1 draw with Stoke that would have been a defeat were it not for the captain's 94th-minute free-kick. Zlatan remarked to the waiting press that they should honour the the footballer for his unique qualities.

“Everybody knows what Wayne is,” Ibrahimovic said. “But this country has to appreciate him. I don’t see any strikers like him today – give me some names, tell me? And still you are not happy.”

Bobby Charlton left Manchester United a month after he scored his 249th goal for the club, in a 2-0 win at Southampton in March 1973. There was a disastrous stint as manager of Preston followed by a not very satisfactory spell as a commentator, a job in which according to one contemporary he specialised in telling the audience exactly what they could see on the screen.

It was when he became a director of Manchester United, acting as the conscience of the club, a link to the days of the ‘Old Man’, Sir Matt Busby, that Charlton came into his own. It was in that capacity that he entered the away dressing room at Stoke to congratulate Rooney.

Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Lee Grant – 7 out of 10 Made a couple of smart stops but never did anything more than expected of him. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Glen Johnson – 6 out of 10 Was allowed to take advantage of United’s narrow midfield but kept busy defensively. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Ryan Shawcross – 7 out of 10 Did well to combat the combined muscle of Ibrahimovic and Fellaini in the aerial battles. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Bruno Martins Indi – 6 out of 10 Was strong defensively, even if he was caught out of position at times. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Erik Pieters – 7 out of 10 Marauded forward well and got his reward when his cross was turned in by Mata. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Charlie Adam – 6 out of 10 Made his presence in the centre of midfield felt as he harried United’s stars. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Glenn Whelan – 6 out of 10 Watched Pogba well throughout and made sure his impact on the game was limited to the deeper positions. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Marko Arnautovic – 6 out of 10 Cynical yellow card for pulling down Herrera on the break and was not too influential in an attacking sense. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Xherdan Shaqiri – 5 out of 10 Had a decent effort from a cut inside shot, but should have fed Crouch better when Stoke had a two on two in the first half. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Joe Allen – 6 out of 10 Neat touches and effortless passing as his glided around the field but nothing much more meaningful than that. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Peter Crouch – 5 out of 10 Was a nuisance for Jones and Smalling and always a danger in the air. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings David De Gea – 6 out of 10 Nothing he could do about the goal and had little to do other than that. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Antonio Valencia – 6 out of 10 Was called the best right-back in the world by his manager but other than his usual overlaps, did little to reinforce that view. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Phil Jones – 6 out of 10 Looking more and more like the player Sir Alex Ferguson once predicted he would be and won some crucial tackles and interceptions. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Chris Smalling – 6 out of 10 Preferred to Rojo in defence and took the armband but had his work cut out with Crouch. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Daley Blind – 5 out of 10 Had plenty of space to get forward but lacked the pace to turn it into any sort of danger for United. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Ander Herrera – 7 out of 10 His usual high-octane performance and fast becoming one of the first names on the teamsheet. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Paul Pogba – 5 out of 10 Saw his effectiveness reduced as his was played in a deeper role and saw his snap-volley punched away well by Grant. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Marouane Fellaini – 6 out of 10 Had plenty of chances in the air and brought a couple of decent saves from Grant. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Juan Mata – 6 out of 10 Mata did his usual stuff but got the unfortunate final touch to divert the ball past De Gea and then missed a golden opportunity to equalise at the other end, skying his shot over from two yards. Man Utd via Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 6 out of 10 Missed a golden chance to equalise when he launched his shot into row Z in the first half, but created a great effort for Ibrahimovic before that. Getty Images Stoke vs Manchester United player ratings Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 5 out of 10 Had a number of chances to score but twice tried to pass when a shot looked the better option. Man Utd via Getty Images

“I know, deep down, he is happy for me,” said Rooney. “It is obviously not nice when your record goes but I think he is genuinely pleased for me and I really respect the man. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, football clubs in the world and to be its leading scorer is a very proud moment.”