| Joining The Debate | | | | by many, as the best player in the world. How does |
| Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, there's an ongoing | | | | Rooney's goal scoring compare with these strikers'? |
| debate about who the world's greatest player is. | | | | As of January 2010, Rooney had 25 goals from 55 |
| Argentina's Messi is among the most named. There | | | | Internationals. Messi has 13 goals from 41 matches; |
| are also those who root for the likes of Portugal's | | | | Christiano Ronaldo has 22 from 67. Going farther |
| Christiano Ronaldo. Recently, Carlos Tevez, the | | | | afield, Brazil's Kaka has 26 from 73, and Spain's Xavi |
| Manchester City and Argentina striker, and Rooney's | | | | (Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008) has 8 from |
| former teammate at Man United, created a stir when | | | | 82 caps. Spain's Fernando Torres, only a year older |
| he said that Rooney is the best he has ever played | | | | than Rooney, and who, like the England striker, has |
| against, or alongside. In fact, Tevez categorically stated | | | | represented his country, since 2003, has 23 from 71. |
| that Rooney is better than his Argentinian teammate, | | | | Injury Threat |
| Messi, as well as the Portugal star striker, Christiano | | | | Injury was Rooney's bane, at both the Euro 2004 and |
| Ronaldo. | | | | FIFA World Cup 2006 campaigns. Coincidentally, both |
| Early Bird | | | | campaigns ended at the quarter-final stage, and |
| At 25, Rooney has over a hundred Premier League | | | | against the same team, Portugal, and by way of |
| appearances and 50-plus England caps. When he | | | | penalty kicks. While Rooney sustained an injury during |
| turned out for Everton, against Arsenal, in his first | | | | the quarter-final of Euro 2004, at the FIFA World Cup |
| Premier League appearance, Rooney established a | | | | 2006, he went into the tournament with an injury, and |
| record - since broken - as the youngest ever to play in | | | | the England team management set up a special |
| the EPL. His goal scored in that match against the | | | | oxygen tent to help Rooney recover in time for action. |
| defending champions, Arsenal, ended Arsenal's | | | | Earlier, in March, this year, Rooney twisted his ankle |
| 30-match unbeaten streak. It also made Rooney the | | | | during the EPL. He was back in action, a few weeks |
| youngest ever player to score a goal in the EPL (this | | | | later, in the Champions League, where the injury |
| record has also been bested, since). | | | | recurred. All of England's fans will be praying for |
| Rooney went on to become the youngest player to | | | | Rooney's fitness at this year's FIFA World Cup. |
| earn an England cap - another record, since erased - | | | | Partnerships |
| when he played in a friendly against Australia, in 2003. | | | | One player, alone, cannot deliver victory. Where his |
| He became the youngest England player to score an | | | | rivals have scored over Rooney is in the quality of |
| international goal, at Euro 2004. Rooney announced his | | | | support they have derived from other players, in their |
| arrival in tournament action, with a sensational showing | | | | respective squads. For instance, Xavi owed much of |
| that ended, tragically, in the quarter-final against | | | | his success, at Euro 2008, to the support he got from |
| Portugal, when he got injured and was forced to leave | | | | teammates, Torres and Villa. |
| the field. | | | | How effective Rooney is at FIFA World Cup 2010 will |
| Blazing a Trail | | | | depend to a large extent on how well he is supported |
| Rooney has spent eight years in football, and has eight | | | | in the field by the likes of Gerrard, Crouch and Defoe. |
| trophies to highlight his presence in the football arena, | | | | Awesome Form |
| including 3 Premier League titles, and one each in the | | | | Rooney has been in awesome form, throughout the |
| UEFA Champions League, Community Shield, and | | | | current season. His 34 goals from 44 appearances for |
| Champions Cup. The icing on the cake was the | | | | Man U tell their own story. Gary Lineker, himself an |
| inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, in 2008. | | | | accomplished former striker for England, avers that |
| He has no dearth of endorsements and has won | | | | England cannot win without Rooney. Alan Shearer, |
| countless individual prizes, capped by the 2010 PFA | | | | another England ex-striker, recommends a 4-5-1 |
| Players' Player of the Year award conferred on him, in | | | | formation, with Rooney leading the attack, alone, a |
| April, 2010. | | | | strategy that Lineker also endorses. |
| Goal-scoring Ability | | | | For England to shine at this World Cup, they must treat |
| Statistics don't often tell the whole truth, but they | | | | Rooney like the jewel he is - with extreme care. On |
| usually give broad indications of any existing trend. In | | | | Rooney's part, he must keep his head, and not fall prey |
| Rooney's case, the trend, if we can call it that, has | | | | to on-field provocations from rivals, as he so |
| been overwhelming. Over 145 goals, from about 360 | | | | infamously did, in the World Cup 2006 quarter-final, |
| appearances in club football, point to a prolific | | | | against Portugal. |
| goal-scoring ability. Rooney's strike rate has only | | | | Who is the World's Best? |
| improved in Internationals, where his 55 England caps | | | | Chelsea's boss, Ancellotti, will brook no argument. |
| (as on January, 2010) have resulted in 25 goals. | | | | Rooney is the best, he says. This, coming from a man |
| Comparison with Other Star Strikers | | | | who has been at the receiving end of Rooney's genius |
| At the beginning of this article, I spoke of Messi and | | | | in the EPL, is a telling endorsement. |
| Christiano Ronaldo as being preferred over Rooney, | | | | |