England captain Wayne Rooney will win his 100th cap for his country against Slovenia on Saturday
Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney will win his hundredth cap for the Three Lions in Saturday’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, a game that Roy Hodgson’s side are odds of 1/3 to win.
The 29-year-old will become just the ninth player to make the 100 cap mark.
Legends
Rooney joins a club of legends such as Bobby Moore, Bobby Charlton and Peter Shilton on 100 caps.
Those players have legendary status for their achievements with England. However, modern day players like Steven Gerrard, David Beckham and Ashley Cole are derided for the fact that they have not won silverware with the Three Lions.
Their generation were labelled ‘the Golden Generation’ of English football, but they never achieved the same acclaim as some of their predecessors. Rooney has recently stated that he will never be a great until he claims silverware with the national side, which realistically only leaves Euro 2016.
Expectations
It is a major achievement for Rooney to have reached 100 caps for England. Ever since he broke into the Three Lions team fans and teammates have looked at him as a leader in the team. The player everybody looked to for inspiration.
When he broke into the Everton and England team he was instantly labelled a wonderkid. Rooney was built-up by the British media to be one of the most highly-rated players in world football. He certainly had big potential.
Rooney has always had the weight of expectancy of the England fans on his shoulders. The pressure must have had an effect on the forward.
Silverware
At club level Wayne Rooney has won everything there is to win, with five Premier League titles and one Champions League to his name.
The Liverpool-born striker has to be considered a major success at domestic level, scoring 236 career goals, with 219 of those goals being scored for Manchester United.
Underachiever
The fact that Rooney has scored just once at three World Cup final tournaments will follow the forward around. He never lived up to his potential on the biggest stage of all and that is what he will be judged on.
Great players step their game up when they are most needed, but Rooney has never managed to do that for his country. Time is running out for Rooney and Euro 2016 may just be his last chance to make a mark at a major tournament.
Ironically his best performance at a major international tournament came in his very first, back in Euro 2004 when he scored four times in four games, before picking-up an injury in the quarter-finals against hosts Portugal. The Three Lions were then knocked-out on penalties.
The Three Lions look to currently be in pole position to qualify for the European Championship in 2016 from Group E. It seems it is going to be harder for England not to qualify, than actually qualify.
Injuries and suspensions permitting Rooney will be part of the England squad that travels to France, but judging by his past record he could be injured or suspended for that trip. Rooney has a habit of picking up injuries (not his fault) and suspensions (definitely his fault) prior to big international tournaments.
Role Model
The Manchester United forward has been held up by some as a role model for the young England midfield starlet Ross Barkley. Even current England teammate Leighton Baines has stated that Rooney is a good role model for the Everton youngster.
However, the youngster seems to have a good head on his shoulders. He has already dismissed comparisons with Rooney and also praise from Barcelona midfield metronome Xavi.
Maybe Rooney could teach him how to handle the pressure of being a star. He could also maybe instil into Barkley what it means to play and captain England, but I am sure that even Wayne himself would not hold himself up as some sort of moral compass, especially after the mistakes he has made during his career.
2016
It is strange that Wayne Rooney has not been more successful for England, especially at major tournaments, because he has helped Manchester United to win so many trophies during the last decade.
He works himself into the ground for his country and is always demanding more from his teammates. Nobody has more passion or will-to-win for his country than Rooney.
Maybe 2016 could be the year that Wayne Rooney finally makes another major mark on a major international tournament. Then maybe he will not be left wondering what might have been at the end of his football career.
Has Wayne Rooney’s international career been a success?
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