Wayne’s wonder world

Man Utd 6 Fenerbahce 2

On this evidence, Alex Ferguson would have made a wise investment if he had spent the next two years’ transfer budget on the 18-year-old, instead of the bargain £27million which prised him from Everton last month.

Never, in all the years of this illustrious club, can any one player have made such a startling start to their career.

Two first-half efforts were followed by an incredible Beckham-esque free-kick seven minutes after the break to ensure Rooney left the Theatre of Dreams with a match ball, a place in history and the adoring chants of 60,000 voices ringing in his ears.

Given Alex Ferguson spent the last 24 hours mulling over whether to start with Rooney or not, it appears the Scot made a pretty wise choice and all those critics who have lined up to write United off already this season may do well to make a swift revision of their conclusions.

Even the briefest glance down the Manchester United team sheet could have provided plenty of topics for discussion among the home fans.

Within 17 minutes, any talking point other than Rooney was rendered completely irrelevant.

The young striker had already made an impressive start to the first European game of his career, even though Fabio Luciano had been detailed to mark him.

Luciano stuck gamely to his task for the first 15 minutes, but he surely will not be the first defender to discover tracking Rooney for an entire game is an almost impossible task.

Ryan Giggs had already put United in front when he rose to glide Kleberson’s excellent cross into the corner when Ruud van Nistelrooy delivered a killer ball right into the heart of the Fener defence.

There, 25 yards out, completely unmarked was Rooney. In front of 67,000 expectant fans and millions on TV, this 18-year-old showed the maturity of someone twice his age, striding onto the pass before unleashing an unstoppable shot past Rustu Recber.

The Turkish goalkeeper had been so dismissive of United’s chances before the game but he obviously had not seen much of Rooney. He did not see much of the England star’s next shot either as it flew low to his left to put the Reds 3-0 up.

Rooney had been left with slightly more to do this time after taking Giggs’ square ball but after dancing past Umit Ozat, he created enough room for the thunderbolt effort which Rustu watched fly into his goal.

If Rooney had been able to divert a shot from Gary Neville’s low cross on target, he might have had a match ball to accompany his half-time tea.

As it was, the Merseysider had to wait until seven minutes after the restart to execute the goal that will enshrine him in Old Trafford folklore.

There was a certain symmetry about the goal too, seeing as Rooney is on the verge of eclipsing David Beckham as the most talked-about English player on the planet.

At the same end, and roughly the same spot from which Beckham delivered the miracle free-kick that sent England to the World Cup in 2002, Rooney matched the achievement to complete his hat-trick.

The swarm of United shirts that gathered around the Fenerbahce penalty area after van Nistelrooy had been fouled hinted that there were a few interested parties. In truth, Rustu had only Rooney to worry about and even with advance warning he got nowhere near making a save as the ball bulged into the net behind him.

Around Rooney’s spectacular entrance there was virtually another match going on, in which United were forced to withstand heavy Fenerbahce bombardment.

Marcio Nobre and Tuncay Sanli scored after Rooney’s second and third efforts but just as it looked like United would suffer an astonishing change in fortune, van Nistelrooy popped up to net his customary European goal before Bellion added a sixth.

MAN UTD: Carroll, Gary Neville, Heinze (Phil Neville 81), Ferdinand, Silvestre, Bellion, Djemba-Djemba, Kleberson, Giggs (Fletcher 62), van Nistelrooy (Miller 81), Rooney.

FENERBAHCE: Rustu, Baris, Luciano, Ozat, Akyel (Akin 61), Balci, Aurelio, Marcio Nobre, Sanli, Alex, Van Hooijdonk.

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).