Wayne Rooney finally comfortable in own skin
The striker has always had the power to earn headlines but, whereas in the past he seemed uncomfortable with his fame and frustrated by an inability to take control of his talent, now the child prodigy has become a leader — and it suits him.
There will be some who say that at the age of 29 such a development is long overdue; but in many ways the metamorphosis has happened incredibly quickly, inspired by being named captain of both club and country.
Remember it is less than two years since Rooney reportedly asked to leave Manchester United, an act that threatened his status as a United legend on the Stretford End. At the same time his relationship with England fans was strained, too, battling against a perception that he was under-achieving with his national side.
But the transformation in Rooney on and off the pitch since is remarkable. Seven goals in his last 10 games go only a very short way to emphasising just how relaxed the former Everton player has become since embracing the responsibilities of leadership.
Watching him stroll through the post-match media mixed zone after England’s recent international against Lithuania, when he scored his 47th international goal to go just two short of Bobby Charlton’s all-time record, he looked and sounded like a totally different character to the frustrated, stressed individual who had stood there so many times before.
Rooney, shoulders relaxed, eyes intent and sparkling, appears to have discovered a way to communicate at last; inspired by his voracious desire to make a success of captaincy.
England manager Roy Hodgson has noticed the difference, saying: “When I took the job I met a man who was burning to play, and that is the way he has been all along. But since he has been made captain, I think he has taken an even further step, both at Manchester United and with us. He’s really taken on this job as captain with enormous seriousness. He’s studied and talked to a lot of people. He spends a lot of time with the younger players.”
If Rooney’s form with England has been impressive, his impact on Manchester United’s season is even more intense — not just on the field but off it. From the moment he organised an early-season team meal to help United’s new players settle in, his commitment to the armband has been unquestionable; and people are beginning to notice.
He was credited with making important dressing room speeches against both Tottenham and Liverpool, prompting midfielder Ander Herrera to say: “Wayne Rooney is our leader. He is maybe the strongest guy — not only physically, but also mentally. I think we in the squad are following him. He is our captain, our leader and our character.”
What is interesting of course is that Louis van Gaal took some time before deciding Rooney was the right man for the job. The Dutchman was widely tipped to make Robin van Persie his captain, just as he had done with the Netherlands in the World Cup, but in fact chose Darren Fletcher and even Tom Cleverley in early pre-season matches.
Both have since moved on, however, while Rooney is very much the focal point of United’s revival.
“For me it’s always very important the choice of captain,” van Gaal said when announcing his decision. “Wayne has shown a great attitude towards everything he does. I have been very impressed by his professionalism and his attitude to training and to my philosophy. He is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role.”
Rooney has certainly done that; but perhaps not even Van Gaal could have predicted just how smoothly the striker would take on the extra responsibilities that have come his way, or how the pressures of leadership would act not as a burden but as a conduit to finally unlocking hidden depths in his personality.
It is fair to say, for instance, that the very best captains take their role way beyond the playing field.
John Terry, who gives up hours of his own time to watch and encourage young players or to organise social and team-building events for teammates, is a wonderful example at Chelsea even if he has earned few fans outside of the club’s Cobham training ground; and there are plenty of signs that Rooney has seen the bigger picture too.
“There are different things you have to get involved in as captain in terms of meetings outside the club and trying to have an influence on the youth development,” he said recently. “Things like that are great — to have a say in and an influence on how things are going — it’s all something I’m happy to do. I’m enjoying it but the main thing I want to do as captain is to be successful as a team because that will be a great honour.”
That last sentence should be a concern for Manchester City tomorrow as Rooney, who has been the hero on so many occasions in derby matches, attempts to move his side ever closer to Champions League qualification and perhaps even towards an unlikely title challenge.
They will be coming up against a player not only at the peak of his playing powers, but one who has never felt more comfortable in his own skin or more at home with the demands of leadership. It looks a very powerful combination.
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