WAYNE ROONEY - Living up to expectation?

If you live in the UK and like football, it is difficult not to remember the moment Wayne Rooney exploded onto our TV screens. The cries of ‘remember the name’ from the mouth of Clive Tyldesley was a truly symbolic moment. Or was it? Has the boy from Croxteth achieved his full potential?

The dipping drive which clattered in off David Seaman’s crossbar to end Arsenal’s long unbeaten run in 2002 was a moment of sheer brilliance. It prompted Arsene Wenger to say he was ‘the best English player I have seen in my time here’. For a 16 year old to do that against the best team in England was truly something to remember, but has Wayne Rooney really delivered?

After that unbelievable entrance onto the domestic scene and an exhilarating debut for England against Turkey, Rooney went extremely quiet for more than a year, perhaps not unexpected for a teenager. In his defence, he was playing for a very poor Everton team during 2003-04 which eventually finished a lowly 17th, so, it would be fair to let that period slide. However, was it a sign of things to come?

Rooney was 18 when he travelled with England to Euro 2004. There was muted expectation after a two goal cameo against Iceland just before the tournament. However, the performances he produced in Portugal were well and beyond anything we expected. He ran France (the pre-tournament favourites) ragged in the opening group game. The highlight was Rooney running from his own half, past five bewildered French players before being hacked down in the French area. The run was full of strength, pace, determination and frightening close control. David Beckham missed the subsequent penalty, but Rooney had arrived on the global stage. In an interview after, Thierry Henry (who himself was at his peak) praised Rooney. ‘Rooney, what a player’ were his words. The Merseyside teenager then went on to score two terrific goals against Switzerland, and then two even better strikes against a talented Croatia team. The first, a 25 yard thunderbolt, the second, a wonderfully executed side foot finish after some exquisite approach play.

This was England’s finest chance to win a major tournament for a long time, and they had the tournament’s form player. I don’t think I am alone in thinking, that had Rooney not hobbled off after half an hour in the quarter final against Portugal (England were 1-0 up through Michael Owen, and in firm control), England would have won that tournament. It’s all hindsight now of course, but Rooney was unstoppable that year in Portugal. He had emphatically announced himself as a world class talent and the best young player in the world.

He signed for Manchester United at the start of the following season, and, in his first game back after three months out with a metatarsal injury, he scored a stunning hat-rick. It was a majestic debut performance, capped by a wonderful free kick. He had now arrived on the European club stage. Since then however, his performances for both United and England have been patchy and inconsistent. Injuries have disrupted his progress, of that there is no doubt, and, although it’s difficult to criticize Sir Alex Ferguson, has he restricted Rooney’s progress?

In recent seasons, especially last season, Rooney has been asked to play on the flanks on frequent occasions. He has become more of a work-horse, and last season, in some games, along with Carlos Tevez, it appeared the two were there solely to create space for Cristiano Ronaldo, somewhat devaluing their own unique skills and potential contributions. History will tell us that it did all end in glory, but at this stage of his career Wayne Rooney should be the main man, but, he’s not, Ronaldo is the main man. The Portuguese star is nine months older than Englishmen, but at Euro 2004, although impressive in patches, he did not approach anywhere near the level of Rooney. So how did Ronaldo develop so much more? Did he just develop slower initially? He is not as physically strong as Rooney, so maybe this is the reason. There could be many reasons. They are all down to interpretation, but I feel Rooney’s progress has been stifled to a certain extent.

In his first season at Old Trafford, Rooney impressed. Stunning goals against Middlesbrough and Newcastle were notable highlights, and he was man of the match in the FA Cup Final defeat to Arsenal. His form dipped during the following season, like any young player’s can, but his England performances remained steady and he often carried the main threat. In fact, the national mourning that occurred after he broke his metatarsal seven weeks before the World Cup finals was a sign of the high regard he was (is) held in, or his perceived importance anyway.

Rooney wasn’t fit at the World Cup and it showed, but, following that tournament, up until Fabio Capello came into the job as England boss, his form for England was inconsistent. He has had long spells without scoring and games where he would often grow frustrated with his team mates. This is also a common feature during his games at Old Trafford. Ronaldo has become the golden boy of world football and has, to be blunt, overtaken Rooney.

The Englishman may still be more popular at Old Trafford, but is it about popularity? Does Rooney want popularity or does he want to be the best? He is a team player, that is plain to see, but he is also always demanding the ball and likes to be centre of attention. Sometimes he tries too hard, for example, the costly penalty he conceded in Moscow aided England’s exit from the Euro 2008 qualifiers. This was the same game in which Rooney also scored a spectacular volley. I feel that this is Wayne Rooney in a nutshell.

Wayne Rooney is still capable of astonishing moments of inspiration and skill on the football pitch, but is he really achieving his potential? Fellow Englishmen Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are arguably more recognized on the world stage. Gerrard, for example, nearly always appears in the UEFA Champions League teams of the year, as does John Terry, whilst Lampard has finished runner up in the World Player and European Footballer of the year lists. Rooney, of course, is younger, but has his unbelievable entrance onto the scene five years ago created false expectations?

Rooney, by now, should clearly be England’s star player, but is he? He should be one of the best five players in the world, but is he? His progress is not what it should be. He picks up silly suspensions, both home and abroad and get injured very regularly (whether his fault or not). He is often in the media spotlight and does this affect his performance?

The Merseysider has won two league titles, and will probably win another this season. He has a Champions League winner’s medal, and he has a League Cup winner’s medal. He is 23 years old, plays for one of the world’s greatest clubs and can still achieve everything he should do. Hopefully, this will include another special performance in a global championship. He may go on to win individual honours on the World or European stage, but is he at the level we expected at this stage of his career? Is he at the very, very top of the football ladder, on a par with Messi, Ronaldo, even Gerrard, to an extent? The Liverpool captain has rightly pointed out that Rooney’s talent is unequalled in the England camp, and whilst modestly playing down his own unique match-winning qualities, he is probably right. However, Rooney needs to prove this more often.

This argument is not about talent, because Rooney has that in abundance. The argument is actually what he is capable of. I personally think that he is capable of so much more.