Pressure on Eriksson to play Rooney from start

ENGLAND manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has accepted he will face a growing public clamour for Wayne Rooney to start next week’s Euro 2004 qualifier against Slovakia.

Eriksson revealed that 17-year-old Rooney had already reached “hero” status among many English fans desperate for some urgency and creativity in the side, describing his quality as “incredible”.

The England coach held back Rooney until the second half of the friendly against Serbia and Montenegro as he had only just returned from a knee injury.