Rooney Is A Legend

MATT BELL says it’s time Wayne Rooney got the recognition he deserves…

HOW can a man who is his country and his club’s all-time top goal scorer not be deemed a legend? 

That is the question I’m addressing in this article, and it’s one that deeply saddens me.

For me, Wayne Rooney was my footballing idol growing up. I was seven years old when he became the youngest player to ever play for England at the age of 17, nine years old when a metatarsal injury robbed him from firing England to the Euro 2004 semi-final, and have enjoyed watching him grow at Manchester United since.

One cannot deny that he has had his fair share of ups and downs, but what we cannot deny is his talent and professionalism.

From a young age at Everton, he always looked like he was going to go onto big things, highlighted through his nickname the White Pele.

He was viewed for a long time as one of England’s best strikers, but, sadly, in the last ten years or so he has not shown his quality in international tournaments.

Yet at club level he has won everything there is in the English game.

For Manchester United, he has won the Champions League, been part of the teams that got to the final twice in two years against Barcelona but fell short, has won five more Premier League medals than Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and Luis Suarez combined, and two more than Frank Lampard.

Sure, he hasn’t won the most: that honour goes to Ryan Giggs, who won an incredible 13 Premier League titles during his time.

He isn’t even the Englishman with the most medals: that honour goes to Paul Scholes.