THE WAYNE AND ONLY!

Roo’s back in business

WAYNE ROONEY made a winning return to English football with Derby last night.

Rooney created the opening goal for Phillip Cocu’s men and had a hand in the winner.

But he missed a glorious chance to score himself on a mixed Championship debut at Pride Park as the Rams secured a crucial win.

Rooney, 34, got a standing ovation before kick-off and even some of Barnsley’s players looked star-struck when shaking his hand.

This was a genuine legend of English football after all.

England and Manchester United’s record goalscorer and the country’s most-capped outfield player with 120 appearances, won the lot at club level.

But could he do it on a cold January night in the east Midlands against Barnsley? Rooney was made captain for the night at the expense of Curtis Davies and started the game in midfield.

This was Rooney’s 19th season and 724th club game – his last outing had been 74 days ago for DC United in America, but he completed the full 90 minutes.

The first half threatened to pass him by as he looked to make an impression, a deep free-kick from the star of the show ballooning to the back post and coming to nothing.

Flashes of Rooney’s famous temper were on show when he laid into Jack Marriott for blowing a great chance to open the scoring on 40 minutes. Marriott was clean through with just Samuel SahinRadlinger to beat, but chose to shoot much too soon and couldn’t even hit the target, resulting in a brutal ear-bashing from his new skipper.

All was forgiven minutes later, though, when Marriott converted Rooney’s curling free-kick to make it 1-0.

He punched the air in delight before exchanging high-fives in the centre circle with Marriott. It was Rooney’s 174th career assist.

The visitors levelled after 50 minutes through Elliot Simoes, before Rooney combined with Andre Wisdom to allow Martyn Waghorn to score the winner just before the hour mark, in front of Pride Park’s third biggest crowd of the season.