WAYNE'S WORLD
Rooney approaches goal record
IN OCTOBER 2002: an excited Clive Tyldesley tells a nation to “remember the name” as a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney introduces himself to the Premier League with a thunderous last-minute winner against a high-flying Arsenal. Twelve years later, that sprightly teenager has grown into one of the greatest players to ever grace the beautiful game.
In 2015, as the Manchester United star approaches his 30th birthday, he is set to cement his place amongst the all-time greats for both club and country.
Rooney has resided towards the top of English football for well over a decade now, acquiring a host of winners’ medals in addition to dozens of individual accolades.
An impressive CV boasts five Premier League titles, two League Cups, a PFA Player of the Year award and even a Champions League victory. The 29-year-old has additionally been named in the Premiership Team of the Year on three occasions and has scored the Goal of the Year three times, too.
However, 2014 was a real mixed year for the England No.10. As far as team success was concerned, it could have scarcely gone worse as the national side flopped spectacularly in Brazil and Manchester United missed out on European football for the first time since 1989/90.
On a personal note, though, it was a much brighter year for Rooney as he finally got rid of his World Cup duck by scoring against Uruguay and was later named captain for both England and Manchester United.
The mercurial striker then became only the ninth player to reach the 100cap milestone in a Three Lions shirt, underlining his position as the nation’s most naturally gifted player of a generation.
An impressive brace against the Auld Enemy in England’s final game of 2014 also made it Rooney’s most prolific in a Three Lions shirt with a return of eight goals in 13