New injured Rooney for Subbuteo

Table football shop owner Tom Taylor has made a mini-Wayne, who will watch from the sidelines as his Subbuteo teammates aim to win the cup.

Players at the table-top tournament in Knighton, Powys, are even bidding for a Taylor-made mini world cup trophy.

Every team in the real competition will be represented in the Subbuteo event.

Over the seasons Mr Taylor has been asked to reproduce some of the world's top football stars including David Beckham, ref Pierluigi Collina and Thierry Henry.

In 2004, he hit the headlines when he designed the first streaker for Subbuteo players.

"Mini-Rooney will watch from the sidelines like the real one"
Tom Taylor

But he said the idea for an injured Rooney was sparked by colleague Colin Lewis, from Cardiff, who paints his small football figures.

"Colin hates England and when Rooney suffered his metatarsal injury he took great pleasure in saying that England would not win the cup and Sven-Goran Eriksson would not know how to replace him," Mr Taylor said.

"It was shortly afterwards that we came up with the idea for an injured Rooney, complete with plaster cast and on crutches."

Mr Taylor said mini-Wayne would not take part in the group stages of the Subbuteo tournament because it is feared the real Rooney is unlikely to.

"Mini-Rooney will watch from the sidelines like the real one," he added.

"Colin painted Rooney and did a marvellous job. He even painted the three lions on his shirt - the detail is amazing."

The "real" Rooney is training at the England camp and is due to undergo a scan on his injury, two days before the start of the tournament.

Mr Taylor said the wooden top tables would represent the 12 official world cup stadiums in Germany. Two, for the semi-final and final, will even have small nine-seater grandstands for spectators.

Players from Knighton, Cardiff, Bristol and Bracknell, Berkshire, are expected to take part in the event at Knighton community centre, being staged by the Mid Wales Subbuteo Club.

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