Tabloid newspapers somehow failed to spot the obvious ‘Roo-knee’ headlines as Wayne Rooney equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s Manchester United goal-scoring record using his knee.

The England captain’s opener in yesterday’s 4-0 FA Cup win over Reading took his tally at the club to 249, meaning he needs just one more to become the Red Devils’ all-time top goal-scorer.

But as he fired past Ali Al-Habsi with his knee, tabloid headline writers universally missed the plainly unfunny but eminently usable pun that was staring them in their collective face.

Speaking exclusively to Football Burp, the bloke who does it for The Sun expressed his amazement that he could be so negligent.

He said: “Wayne Roo-knee! But of course!

“I’ve not missed one this obvious in about twenty years, not since Gavin Peacock scored with his crotch.

“Tell you what, it’s not often I have a moment of glaring self-awareness, but I’m a bit of a ****, aren’t I?”