STARBUCKS SUPERSTAR
Rooney loving his coffee, the quiet life... and the soccer!
SOME things will never change, no matter where he is. Put Wayne Rooney on a pitch anywhere in the world and you can guarantee what will happen.
The first 33 minutes of his MLS career were a snapshot of almost everything that has gone before in his professional life. Clever passing, constant encouragement for his team-mates and arguing with officials. The only thing missing on his DC United debut was a goal.
But other things are going to be dramatically different and that is why he is here. He has been in Washington for just over two weeks and, while there is nothing that can surprise him in terms of football, his experiences off the pitch so far have opened his eyes.
Here is an example. One day last week, Rooney left his hotel and walked to a nearby mall. He spent some time on his own, milling around the shops, then went into a well-known coffee shop. Nobody gave a second glance, nobody pointed a phone towards him. For someone who has spent 16 years in the public eye, it was liberating.
Rooney has not left England because he has lost his hunger for football, he has seized the chance to experience normality. ‘It is just different,’ he told Sportsmail. ‘I know I can relax a bit more. At home, you are looking over your shoulder and having to think to yourself, “What is going on there?” You don’t know who is watching you and you have to be careful with what you are doing all the time.
‘I think I can have a quiet life now and, when the children come over, I’m sure the time I get to spend with them in public will be a lot better now. It has been very easy to settle. I’ve been made to feel very comfortable. I’ve got freedom to be me, which hasn’t always been the case.’
It is not difficult to understand his thinking. Once he had got over the anger and disappointment of being told by Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s major shareholder, that he could leave this summer, Rooney appreciated the chance that awaited in Washington.
His first impressions have been positive and the 20,504 fans who packed out DC’s new Audi Field stadium on Saturday night were equally thrilled by what they saw from him. Rooney is not fit by any means — this was his first competitive football since April 28 — but his quick mind compensated for heavy legs.
Rooney prepared for the match by watching England’s 2-0 defeat by Belgium in bed on Saturday morning. ‘It was a shame we didn’t get to the final but the manager, his staff and the players can all be proud,’ he said.
When he was introduced in the 57th minute, DC were weathering a spell of pressure from Vancouver Whitecaps but, soon, the 32-yearold helped transform the game, playing a role in the two goals that midfielder Paul Arriola scored to propel them to a 3-1 win. ‘Of course I was nervous,’ Rooney said. ‘It’s your debut but you have to leave the nerves behind and help the team try to win. I felt I did that. I was pleased with my performance when I came on and we got three points, which was the most important thing. It was excellent.’
It would have been even better had he scored himself but Vancouver goalkeeper Brian Rowe turned away a powerful 79th-minute header. No matter. You could see how much he enjoyed it, not least when he stood in the middle of the pitch and waved his arms to the stands, urging more volume.
Yet there is an issue. What happens when the honeymoon period wears off? If Rooney stands out so much at 60 per cent fitness, what happens when he is at his maximum? He should still be playing in the Premier League and the worry is MLS will not present a sufficient test. Those quiet coffees won’t be so nice if he doesn’t enjoy the football.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ Rooney replied, when asked if he was worried the challenge will be too easy. ‘To be honest, I’ve been really impressed with the players in training. This is only the first game I’ve been involved in, so I can only make a judgment on what I have seen from the last week.
‘But it has been good. It’s a hightempo game and training has been really impressive. The level is high. It’s a bit different tactically. I’d say it’s a bit more open than in England. I suppose over here they like open games and lots of goals, so I’m sure that will stay the same.
‘It would have been nice to score. I thought the header was in. It was a good save, to be fair. But, in time, the goals will come. It’s another tough week of training now and we’ll see what happens next week (when DC face Atlanta). I’m just pleased we won.’
And pleased, more than anything, to have found sanctuary.