Application without talent is a shame, talent without application is a tragedy. Fortunately for Manchester United and England, Wayne Rooney has an abundance of both.
Blessed with supreme skill and technique, he works tirelessly on every aspect of his game, maintaining the same level of intensity for every game whether it’s a Champions League Final or an early round of the Carling Cup.
Born in Croxteth in 1985, Rooney honed his skills in the backstreets of Merseyside, quickly attracting the attention of local scouts. He signed for Everton at the age of ten and made his first-team debut just six years later.
It had long been whispered that Everton had something special in their ranks, but no-one was sure how special until he walloped a last-minute winner past Arsenal’s David Seaman in October 2002, five days shy of his 17th birthday. Suddenly it was clear that Everton had a future superstar on their hands.
But Rooney would spend just two full seasons with the Toffeemen before Manchester United lured him away with an enormous bid of £25 million. Ravaged by debt, Everton simply couldn’t afford to turn the money down.
Now the world’s most expensive teenager, Rooney made his debut for United in September 2004 against Galatasaray. Did the pressure get to him? Not a bit of it. Under the lights of Old Trafford and the scrutiny of the world’s media, the 19-year-old smashed home a hat-trick in a extraordinary 6-2 victory.
In the years since, Rooney has built up a staggering portfolio of success. As well as crashing home dozens of ‘Goal of the Month’ contenders, he has been the figurehead of Sir Alex Ferguson’s latest super-team, bringing yet more silverware back to Old Trafford.
He has scored well over a century of goals for United and helped his side win a quartet of Premier League titles, two League Cups, a Champions League and a World Club Cup.
He made his debut for England in 2003, excelled at Euro 2004 and appeared in his first World Cup in 2006. He has now won three Premier League titles, one Champions League and two League Cups, as well as a host of individual awards. And yet, with Rooney, you suspect that the best is still to come. Wayne is one of the few English players of the past thirty years who wouldn't look out of place in any other national team on the planet, which is perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay him.