Wayne Rooney - Record Breaker

                                                                                                           Record Breakers

 

 

When Wayne Rooney emerged on the scene with a little bit of scandal surrounding his early days, the fear amongst the media was of 'another Gazza', a George Best waiting to happen again. Talented beyond belief, here was a working class boy with the world at his feet, something that in a class ridden society, London has never been comfortable with. So as they began to tear him apart, his agent tore Rooney away from the negativity.

Sympathisers who witnessed his raw talent at Everton will forever be aggrieved that he was forced into a utility role by a manager with a grudge on his way out. It was a crime against his ability and against football personality.

Rooney has been the victim of his own self belief that saw him leave Everton too early for his development and Alex Ferguson asking him to utilise his ability to provide ammunition for the likes of Van Nistelroy, Christiano Ronaldo and Robin Van Persie amongst others by playing out of his preferred position. At Manchester United he has been treated like the ultimate commodity, paid well, marketed even better, ready to break all records. However he will never be to those in the Stretford End adored in the same way as Cantona, Best or even Beckham. Yet, he has been the fulcrum of all that has been good at United for a decade when lifting silverware. He is the hub of the team who lets others play.
Even at International level he is being asked to play out of position to accommodate lesser players.

Sid Benson, a former Everton scout who has known Rooney since the age of eight, is adamant that he is among the very best in the world.
“He is unselfish,” says Benson. “If you went up to Messi and said, ‘listen I want you to play right-back tomorrow’, he would tell you where to go. If you said to Ronaldo, ‘centre-midfield, I need you to do a job’, he would be, ‘no, no, no’. If you said to Wayne, ‘we’re struggling, we need you in goal’, he would say, ‘where are the gloves’. That side of him doesn’t get recognised. He’s right up with Ronaldo or Messi and any British footballer I have ever seen.”

So don't let the media mislead and look back through rose tinted glasses at Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Greaves, etc and say that he has not reached 'their status' in the game. Let us applaud this unique talent when he does indeed break these records because he deserves all the accolades he receives.