Rooney membuat debut internasional senior pada tahun 2003, menjadi pemain termuda yang mewakili Inggris (rekor dipatahkan oleh Theo Walcott). Dia pernah menjadi pencetak gol termuda Inggris. Ia bermain di UEFA Euro 2004 dan mencetak empat gol, menjadi pencetak gol termuda dalam sejarah Piala Eropa. Rooney tampil di Piala Dunia 2006 dan 2010 dan secara luas dianggap sebagai pemain terbaik untuk negaranya. Dia telah memenangkan Inggris Player of the Year dua kali, tahun 2008 dan 2009. Pada Juni 2014, ia telah mengemas 95 caps internasional dan mencetak 40 gol, membuatnya menjadi pencetak gol kelima tertinggi Inggris dalam sejarah. Seiring dengan David Beckham, Rooney adalah pemain paling sering dikartu merah untuk Inggris, yang telah diterima sebanyak dua kali.
Pada 2009-10, Rooney dianugerahi PFA Players 'Player of the Year dan FWA Footballer of the Year. Dia telah memenangkan penghargaan Premier League Player of the Month lima kali, rekornya berbagi dengan Steven Gerrard. Dia masuk nominasi kelima dalam pemungutan suara untuk 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or dan masuk di FIFPro Dunia 11 untuk 2011. Rooney telah memenangkan 'Gol of the Season' penghargaan oleh BBC Match of the Day dari jajak pendapat pada tiga kesempatan, dengan tendangan sepeda melawan rival Manchester City dan memenangkan penghargaan 'Gol Premier League of the 20 Seasons'. Sebuah laporan pada Maret 2011 tercatat Rooney sebagai pemain sepak bola dengan bayaran tertinggi ketiga di dunia setelah Lionel Messi dan Cristiano Ronaldo, dengan pendapatan tahunan € 20.700.000 (£ 18 juta) termasuk penawaran dari sponsorship.

He is currently on 253 goals in all competitions which makes him the club's top goalscorer of all time. His 198 Premier League goals make him the competition's second top scorer of all time, behind Alan Shearer. Rooney holds the record for most goals for one club in the Premier League, with 183 for Manchester United. Rooney made his senior international debut in February 2003 aged 17, becoming the youngest player to represent England (a record since broken by Theo Walcott) and he is England's youngest ever goalscorer. He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship. Rooney has since featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups and is widely regarded as his country's best player.
He has won the England Player of the Year award four times, in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015. With 53 goals in 119 international caps, Rooney is England's all-time record goalscorer and second most-capped player, behind Peter Shilton. Along with David Beckham, Rooney is the most red carded player for England, having been sent off twice. In 2009–10, Rooney was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year. He has won the Premier League Player of the Month award five times, a record only bettered by Steven Gerrard. He came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or and was named in the FIFPro World 11 for 2011. Rooney has won the Goal of the Season award by the BBC's Match of the Day poll on three occasions, with his bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City winning the Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons award.