Rooney must cope with media attention – Keegan

(GSM) – Former England manager Kevin Keegan says Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney and other footballers must accept that their lives are under the media spotlight.

Recent headlines about Rooney’s alleged relationship with a prostitute seem to have taken their toll on the performances of the England star, who only managed to find the net once in five games this season.

And after watching Rooney fail to score again in United’s 2-2 draw at Bolton Wanderers on Sunday, Keegan said on ESPN that the media’s invasion of footballer’s lives is only natural and that players must learn to cope with the media glare.

“You can’t have all the contracts, you can’t sell your wedding to magazines and things like this and suddenly say, ‘That’s the tap I want to turn on, but we want to turn the other one off’,” Keegan said on ESPN.

“But it’s just one tap and I know from when I played that, if you are advertising boots and all these things, you have to go and make appearances. You are going to appear in the paper.

“But the one thing I would say is keep your home and your family out of it and just take your endorsements if that’s what you want to do.

“You can’t then turn around and say there’s too much paparazzi around or there is too much publicity. One minute you are courting it, the next minute you’re saying ‘I don’t want this.’

Keegan reckons Rooney needs a confidence boost and says that the United star’s return to form will be crucial in adding to his team’s trophy cupboard this season.

“Last year, you’d fancy him to put some these chances into the net.” Keegan said. “His performance at Bolton tells me his confidence is shot. For United to get back to where they should be and winning at places like Bolton, they need to be getting Wayne Rooney firing on all cylinders.”