Rooney shows his class

Since Wayne Rooney appeared on the scene as a sixteen year old at Everton he has been one of the most talked about players in world football. He was as good as anyone has been at that age, but some feel he has never quite lived up to the promise he showed. Great player, yes, but one of the best in the world?

Impressive

Still only twenty-five years old, Rooney has amassed two hundred and seventy-three league games and three hundred and eighty in all competitions at club level. He has found the net an impressive one hundred and fifty-four times in those games.

He has also scored twenty-six times at international level in sixty-seven games for his country. If he stays injury free he is likely to become England’s most capped player and their highest ever goal scorer.

Medals

Rooney has already picked up three Premier League winners medals, two League Cups and a Champions League. He has been voted young player of the year and senior player of the year and has twice been named as England’s best player. Basically, he has done pretty much everything he can.

Last season Rooney scored twenty-six times in thirty-six games for Manchester United. He was being spoken about in the same breath as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Then there were unfortunate events in his private life and some niggling injuries and his form disappeared. That showed itself to the world when he had a dismal World Cup in South Africa.

Short

This season has carried on in much the same vein as last season finished. Rooney has looked way short of his best and his return of four goals in sixteen games showed how poorly he has been playing. If Sir Alex Ferguson decided to play with one up front against Manchester City yesterday there was every chance that Rooney would start on the bench. That would have been unthinkable over the past few years.

As it was, Fergie sprung something of a surprise by leaving the prolific Dimitar Berbatov on the bench and playing Rooney as a lone striker. I can only think this was a psychological ply to try to bring the best out of Rooney by showing him that he is still the main man.

Failed

For seventy-eight minutes Wayne Rooney failed to respond to Fergie’s faith in him. City defender Vincent Kompany didn’t let Rooney have a kick. Then Nani sent over a cross that was high and behind Rooney as he stood near the penalty spot. He re-adjusted his position and sent an unstoppable overhead kick into the City net and gave United the three points that may yet win them the title.

However bad Rooney has been, there are very few players in the world who could have scored that goal. He is most certainly a world class player and that goal was right out of the top drawer. As they say, form is temporary and class is permanent.

Important

Rooney says it is the best goal he has ever scored and it is right up there with the most important as well. I thought Sir Alex was wrong to play him and that he should have gone with Berbatov. That, I guess, is why Fergie is one of the top managers in the world and I manage in the Wiltshire Premier League!

If Rooney can rediscover his form, sort out his private life and stay fit, there is no reason why he can’t go on to become one of the finest players ever to have played in and for England.