World Cup & Soccer News | June 11, 2010

England's hopes ride on striker Wayne Rooney

By Grahame L. Jones
June 10, 2010


Johannesburg, SA — It's the eyes that catch your attention first. They are cold, disdainful, piercing, almost reptilian. The eyes of a predator.

That's Wayne Rooney, the player.

Off the field, the England striker is just like any other 24-year-old from the rough side of Liverpool who earns $130,000 a week playing for Manchester United and worldwide fame playing for England.

He is married to his childhood sweetheart, Coleen. They have a 7-month old son, Kai. They are ordinary folk in every sense of the word. Ordinary folk with a swank house, a fleet of luxury cars and enough wealth to last them a lifetime.

But it's not about money for Rooney. It's about soccer. He joined Everton's school of excellence at 9, says he knew by 15 that he would make it and was playing for Everton in the English Premier League by the time he was 16.

Then Manchester United came calling in 2004. He scored a hat trick in his debut for the Reds and hasn't looked back.

On Saturday night, he and England launch another bid for the World Cup when they play the U.S. in Rustenburg, South Africa. It has been 44 years since England's only World Cup triumph, and the belief is that Rooney is the key to the Three Lions' chances this time around.

Geoff Hurst, the only man in history to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, a feat he achieved for England against Germany in 1966, is one such believer.

"We won the World Cup in '66 without Wayne's equivalent — in fact, better than Wayne — Jimmy Greaves, [who] played 57 games for England and scored 44 goals," Hurst said.

"Having said that, I think it would be quite inconceivable that we could win the World Cup without Rooney playing up front."

Kevin Keegan, a former England player and coach, said the same thing, but in a much more eloquent manner.

"If England lost Rooney, I would say they have no chance," Keegan told Bloomberg News, "because he's the one player who can sprinkle some stardust on the team."

There's a contradiction there. A predator who sprinkles stardust? A thick-necked, thick-thighed dangerman with a magic touch? The truth is, Rooney, who has scored 25 goals in 58 games for England, has become almost larger than life. He now strides a global stage.

It says a lot about him that he regards Argentina's Diego Maradona as his favorite all-time player. There are many similarities between them in terms of physical stature, background, education, intensity, use of raw language, fiery temperament and, above all, love of soccer.

England plays the U.S. in their opener Saturday , then Algeria and Slovenia in the first round of the World Cup. All three opponents have done their homework on Rooney.

"He is now in the situation that he can think of himself of being at the same level as [Argentina's] Lionel Messi and [Portugal's] Cristiano Ronaldo, in the top three in the world," said Slovenia Coach Matjaz Kek.

"He does everything on the pitch so well, so cleverly, and when he plays for England he brings in everything he has learned at Manchester United."

Algeria Coach Rabah Saadane concurs.

"For me, he is one of the top two in the world," Saadane said. "And if he is not the best yet, then he can become that man and very soon. What stands out for me is how many different things he can do, that he is equally at home playing as a midfielder or an attacker who will really hurt you."

By finishing first or second in its group, England would probably play either Germany or Serbia in the second round, if the tournament follows form.

The prospect doesn't please Germany Coach Joachim "Jogi" Low.

"My feeling when I see him is that he is unstoppable," Low said of Rooney. "He has everything that a striker needs."

Serbia Coach Radomir Antic is equally unenthusiastic.

"He will play as the lead striker, drop into the middle to pick up the ball, but he will also go out wide to stop the opposition fullback coming forward — sacrificing himself for the team. He will do that, do whatever his team needs. That is the mark of a great player."

Bob Bradley, the U.S. coach, was asked Wednesday whether the U.S. would try to take advantage of Rooney's well-documented temper and goad him into a stupid foul.

"I have tremendous respect for Rooney and what he brings to England in so many ways," Bradley said. "His effort, his competitiveness, his movement, his influence on that team is great. But we won't try to wind him up."

So how does the U.S. thwart a player who is in line to be handed a significantly improved $220,000-a-week contract by Manchester United once the World Cup is over?

"He's one of the best forwards in the world for a reason," said U.S. right back Steve Cherundolo. "He's going to do his best to score for his country and we have to try to stop him. There's really no secret except to have the game of our lives on Saturday."

•  Soccer, World Cup News Archive Index
2010, 2009
•  Soccer Tickets
•  World Cup Tickets