Rooney set to light up World Cup

By Jonathan Stevenson
BBC Sport in Manchester

The World Cup finals begin in 60 days and England have their best chance of winning the tournament since 1966.

But why is public expectation so high this time? In two words, Wayne Rooney.

Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has at his disposal the finest English talent since Paul Gascoigne, a young man blessed with a genius seldom seen before on these or any other shores.

BBC Sport went to Manchester to find out how the nation's great hope is shaping up - and what his biggest fans make of the prodigious 20-year-old with rocket fuel in his boots.

FABULOUS FORM

On Sunday, Rooney showed exactly why people have put so much faith in him at such a tender age.

Watching his Man Utd side start on the back foot against Arsenal, Rooney almost dragged his team back into the game single-handedly with a performance of endeavour, determination and no little skill.

WAYNE ROONEY FACTFILE Born: 24 October, 1985, Liverpool Clubs: Everton, Man Utd Career games: 165 Career goals: 51 England caps: 27 England goals: 10

Seeing the midfielders struggle against Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto Silva, Rooney dropped deep to help his team-mates - often ending up in a full-back berth to clear the ball from danger.

Yet as soon as United became more of a force in the game, he was at the hub of every attacking threat they had to offer.

Twice before half-time he forced Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann to save smartly having created himself some space, before he rounded Lehmann and saw a piledriver handled onto a post by defender Kolo Toure.

If Rooney felt frustrated at having been denied a clear penalty he refused to show it, and soon after the break got his just rewards.

Found by a beautiful Mikael Silvestre cross, Rooney took just one perfect touch to control the ball before hammering it sweet-as-you-like into the corner of the Arsenal net.

He wasn't finished, either.

With most of the United players seemingly happy to sit on their lead, Rooney burst down the right, kept his feet when he could have won a penalty and crossed for Park Ji-Sung to make sure of the points.

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FAN CLUB

Rooney is the best player this country has seen in the past 30 years. He's got everything - pace, skill on the ball, vision and he is one of the most team-orientated players in the Premiership. All I can say is that England better hope he stays fit.
Jamie Roberts, England

This boy can do anything. He seems on a different level to every other player, even in teams as good as Man Utd and England. He sees things other people can't, he's a genius.
Andrew, Man Utd supporter

Rooney is the most talented young player in the world. The only thing that could hinder him in becoming one of the greatest is his temperament. If he can curb his aggressiveness, there is no reason why he cannot bring home the World Cup.
Michael Anderson, New Zealand

It's astonishing that he can be under such pressure from the press and the expectation of the people and still play better than anyone else in a massive game like Arsenal. But are the other England players good enough?
Danny, Man Utd supporter

Rooney is a genius. If the media leave him alone and don't destroy him like they have so many other young talents then he will surely flourish and become one of the greatest talents in the world
Jack, via email

Rooney is a marvellous player and I am honoured to witness his talents week in, week out, but I think it is a bit too soon to compare him to Ronaldinho. He has more then enough talent to achieve what Ronaldinho has but there is still some way to go before reaching his levels of play.
William Murray, Sweden

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POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS

When Rooney woke up on Sunday, he will have been greeted by the familiar sight of his own face splashed all across the newspapers.

Stories of the Croxteth kid running up gambling debts of £700,000 were sweeping across the very same nation that might perhaps be wrapping Rooney up in cotton wool before the World Cup finals.

It is just nonsense but these things will happen to the boy throughout his life Sir Alex Ferguson Full story

He has had it before, of course. Rooney and his fiancee Coleen McLoughlin have attracted a similar number of column inches to the Beckhams over the past couple of years.

But does it affect his football? Not in the slightest.

When asked after the Arsenal game whether the tabloid tales had had an impact on his display, Rooney answered: "You saw me out there, make your own mind up."

His single-mindedness must be a huge relief to Eriksson and England fans, who watched Gazza self-destruct time after time as his off-field activites stopped him from becoming one of the world's all-time greats.

Rooney seems oblivious to everything but the football and at such a young age he must be given great credit for this.

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WAYNE'S WORLD CUP?

Rooney proved on Sunday beyond any shadow of a doubt that he holds the key to England winning the World Cup in Germany this summer.

The former Everton striker has the raw ability, the footballing brain, the speed and now the temperament to carry the weight of the nation's hopes on his young shoulders.

The days when people were worried about Rooney getting himself into trouble should be over; he is no more a liability than any other player in the squad, but he is far more likely to win games on his own.

England should rejoice in having a talent that one day could be mentioned in the same breath as Pele, Diego Maradona, Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane.

First, he has to perform on the biggest stage of all this summer and show the world what he can do.

If Wayne Rooney plays to his full potential, England could just be about to celebrate their first trophy for 40 years.

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