England get us under way...

Ian Colledge:, external Rooney's scored only a single World Cup goal, if he can't perform on the biggest stage he shouldn't be considered a great.

Efe Andre:, external Wayne Rooney is a great English player. Full stop.

Aamir Patel:, external Is there a better striker than Rooney that can play for England? No. I rest my case.

Night falls at a quiet Wembley. A few early goals would wake everyone up, but I get the feeling Slovenia could prove a tough nut to crack.

Opta:, external England have won only four of their last 10 games played on a Saturday.

Ian B in Chesterfield: Wayne Rooney has if he is totally honest with himself has unde achieved since his third season at Manchester United and that's what you have to be - honest with yourself.

Lee in Leeds: Wayne Rooney is no legend, most games you don't know if he is even on the pitch, but he's not the only scarlet pimpernel in the England team. Stand up and be counted.

Arj Manchester: Wayne's unbelievable but his versatility and work rate have worked against us. England needed to build completely around him. The other 10 players should be there to put a shift in so he has the freedom to change games. Unfortunately he's all too often covering for poor England players' efforts.

Image source, Getty Images

Peter Shilton claps on as the crowd acclaim Wayne Rooney.

Rooney and children then step forwards to meet Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who hands over the special golden cap.

He currently stands six goals behind 1966 World Cup winner Charlton's all-time England goal record of 49. Another record he looks all but certain to break. He could get close this evening...

Chris Waddle
BBC Radio 5 live

On the state of the Wembley pitch: "It's rubbish. It's all right playing the NFL on it but not the week before a qualifier. You can still read the NFL writing on it.

"They should have taken this game somewhere else to play on a proper pitch. This is a joke."

Wayne Rooney is in the tunnel with youngest son Klay in his arms. Both of his children are with him for this big moment. Here they come!

James Wall:, external Rooney is woeful. He had one good tournament when he was a kid and that was it. How he's in the England team is beyond me.

Matt Harding:, external Wayne Rooney has scored more competitive goals than any other England player. Yet we're debating his greatness? This country.

Hugo:, external Rooney has not performed for England in 10 years, he's a poor Captain and a destructive role model. There's no debate here.

Danny Mills
BBC Radio 5 live

"I think it's [Rooney reaching 100 England caps] an incredible achievement - 100 games is phenomenal and he is still at a good age. He could go on to get another 30 or 40.

"I know the debate is 'has he been a great player?' I think by his own admission, Wayne's only regret is that in major tournaments, he hasn't really performed, except for maybe in 2004. But what he's done over 10 or 12 years has been magnificent."

Image source, AFP

BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty at Wembley

"Nathaniel Clyne gets a deserved reward for his part in Southampton's outstanding start to the season with a first England cap against Slovenia. Big day for Arsenal's Kieran Gibbs as he steps in as a late replacement for injured Everton defender Leighton Baines.

"This very talented left-back often gets overlooked in the conversations surrounding Baines and Manchester United's £27m signing Luke Shaw, so a good opportunity for him to make his mark."

Fifteen minutes to go until kick-off on a Wembley pitch which is a long way from pristine. The big lads from the NFL have churned it up a touch, will it play a part in the game?

Wembley is close to a sell-out this afternoon.

Image source, AP

After three rounds of qualifying games across the board, the picture is looking rosy for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. But who does qualify for the finals in France?

The 53 teams in nine qualifying groups of six will be reduced to 24 teams in the finals.

All first and second-placed teams go through, plus the best third-placed team.

All other third-placed teams go into two-legged play-offs with the winners to progress.

Hosts France qualify automatically.

Ex-England midfielder Chris Waddle on BBC Radio 5 live

"In one way I'd say it's a great achievement [Wayne Rooney getting to 100 caps]. On the other side, if you go back over the years of the national team there's a lot of other players that can get 100 caps now.

"Would he have got all the caps had he been competing with Gary Lineker, Peter Beardsley, John Barnes going up to Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer?"

Former England captain Steven Gerrard says that Wayne Rooney had "a devastating impact" on the England set-up and Gary Neville says England would have won Euro 2004 if he hadn't been injured.

Ten years is a long time. Has he ever been near that level since?

Mike Lawson:, external Wayne Rooney's often ineffectual involvement behind the main striker is already holding back the progress of Ross Barkley. Drop.

Jeremy Cooper:, external It won't happen, but it would be interesting to drop Rooney for a run of games and see how fortunes change without him.

Rab:, external Wayne Rooney's workrate is his greatest quality. All these England fans complaining should remember all he's done in the past.

Morecambe are celebrating their first win in five games thanks to Kevin Ellison's seventh goal of the season, which was enough to beat Bury 1-0.

On-loan Blackpool striker Bobby Grant has scored his first goal for Shrewsbury to give them a 1-0 lead against 10-man Mansfield, who had Jamie Maguire sent off in the first half.

Luton could be going top after going 1-0 up against Tranmere thanks to substitute Ricky Miller's goal which is threatening Mickey Adams' unbeaten start as Rovers manager.

England manager Roy Hodgson on ITV: "I was out there and the pitch didn't look that bad to be honest but we will see. Making statements about the pitch before it starts is a dangerous game. If there s any need to complain about the pitch let's do it after the game.

"Slovenia have beaten Switzerland, they have some good players.

"We are looking for a win, and that is what Wayne Rooney is looking for too."

Image source, Getty Images

June 2014: Scores his first - and so far only - goal in the World Cup finals in a 2-1 defeat by Uruguay.

Perhaps 'The Big Valbowski' has hit the nail on the head there. Will Wayne Rooney's England career be looked on with a more glossy sheen after he has retired?

The key point remains that we here on the BBC football desk are struggling to recall many - if any - excellent performances from the number 10 since Euro 2004.