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Wayne Rooney leaves teen years behind
(China Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-26 05:58
LONDON: Sven-Goran Eriksson and Alex Ferguson will be hoping that Wayne
Rooney's 20th birthday on Monday marks an end to the teenage temper that has
accompanied his astonishing rise in the game.
 The England and Manchester United managers share the same admiration for
Rooney's talents, as the former prepares for next year's World Cup and the
latter seeks to avoid another trophyless season.
Yet both men are anxious for the Liverpudlian to do a better job of treading
the fine line between competitive aggression and needless bookings.
Born into a family of boxers, the fire that makes Rooney such a fierce
adversary is an important part of his game. Defenders find it almost impossible
to bundle him off the ball and none relish going in for a 50-50 challenge with
the striker.
Yet this season has provided examples of Rooney's temperament proving costly.
Rooney is United's best chance of repeating their 1999 Champions League
triumph in what could be Ferguson's final season in charge. His dismissal after
sarcastically applauding referee Kim Milton Nielsen for a booking against
Villarreal last month earned him a two-match suspension.
Qualifying ban
On England duty, Rooney's yellow card against Northern Ireland cost him a
potentially damaging ban against Austria, and his highly public on-field spat
with captain David Beckham was just what Eriksson's men need to avoid in
Germany.
The pressure on Rooney to avoid these outbursts is
simply a reflection of how valuable he has become to the club and the country.
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