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Wayne Rooney has always been regarded as a scorer of great goals. This was truer before he went on to become England and Manchester United’s greatest goal scorer. A more accurate panegyric would be that Wayne has been an author of truly great moments.
Moments that do not make sense or beggar belief, moments that leave you with odd expressions on your face, moments that make you shriek at the top of your lungs, and then make bizarre excuses to try and explain it to your mother, sister, etc, later, moments that make you fall in love with the game itself.
He is the proverbial enigma, he divides opinions like no other footballer. We all know why he gets pilloried; for courting transfers, new improved contracts, scuffle with the bosses, personal misdemeanors, etc, not that he is the only one to commit all those mistakes.
He is a throwback to a time when playing ball was just about having a time of your life, on the streets, in the living room, at school, against the solitary backyard wall, or just playing keepy-ups in the bedroom.
He has seldom been the most eloquent or squeamish person, let alone an impeccable role model.
However, he has been a footballing phenomenon, a defiant hero, a tireless workhorse and has given us an unbelievable reel of highlights. His story is a story of the grandest moments. Here are some of them:
#1 A 16 year old who fancied his chances
The memory of a 16 year old force of nature gate-crashing mighty Arsenal’s parade is still vividly fresh. The sumptuous curler went in off the cross-bar to end Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten streak.
The undaunted and unperturbed teenager became the youngest goal-scorer in the league (now it is James Vaughn), and served up a microcosmic preview of what was to come.
#2 The White Pele lights up Euro 2004
Between Pele’s 1958 World Cup’s heroics and Mbappe’s 2018 blaze, there was another international tournament that witnessed a teenage sensation upstage the World’s best footballers.
Rooney was 17, precocious and prodigious. Rooney was out of this World and up until his metatarsal broke against Portugal, he seemed to defy the baggage every English team carries to international tournaments.
He was fearless, bewitching and unstoppable. We did not see that Rooney again on the World’s stage, but boy did we see him light millions of sparks in doting admirers all over the globe.
Admittedly, that was when i (a devout Cricket enthusiast) converted to the football fandom of Wayne Rooney.
#3 The debut and the record breaker
Not one to be shy on the biggest of occasions, Rooney finds his elements in the clutch. Be it goals in the finals (Champions League, Domestic Cup, Club World Cup, etc) or last minute humdingers (against the likes of AC Milan 3-2, Manchester Carling Cup semi final), he certainly knows how to bring drama to the pitch.
His debut hat trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League was one such stroke of pure genius. So was his free-kick on a cold night in Stoke, to break Sir Bobby’s record. The man is a certifiable merchant of breath taking moments.
#4 Unbridled passion
For all who have grown up watching Wazza, they will attest to this. Rooney plays on the edge and it's exhilarating, but at times - especially before becoming a father, it has landed him in hot water.
Be it the lash-out around the nether region of Portugal’s Carvalho at the 2006 World Cup (remember the despicable Ronaldo eye-wink!), or the not-so-well received applause at the Swedish referee against Villarreal.
Wayne Rooney is not for the faint of heart ,with horrible gashes (DC United vs Colarado Rapids), ghastly lunges (against Ronaldo in an Everton Shirt), and even missed haymakers (McCarthy in Wigan vs Manchester United), all a big part of Wayne’s World.
#5 A lightning counter, a lob, and a comeback
First is a delicious lob over David James in an FA Cup tie at Old Trafford. For those in India who suffered through James’ punditry during the recent World Cup, this is solace.
Second is the devastating goal on a counter attack against Bolton Wanderers. From one end of the field to another, the goal saw rapid Ronaldo and roaring Rooney produce a moment of sheer footballing genius.
The third part contains a tremendous game-changing second half hat-trick against West Ham. Trailing 2-0 to The Hammers, Rooney inspired an unforgettable comeback victory which got the ball rolling on United’s return to Premier League glory post-Ronaldo.
#6 The volleys: Bold and beautiful
There have been many thunderbolts from the famed right boot, but I am going to mention two. The first, a retaliatory attempt to skin the football against Shay Given and Newcastle United in 2005.
The good old days of Rooney on rampage saw a Rooney rocket electrify Old Trafford seconds after the referee got an earful from Rooney.
The second is arguably the most iconic of goals in the Premier League era, and probably the most replayed one as well. It had the occasion (derby day), the setting (City was dominating play), the arena (Old Trafford) and the celebration (the ovation and the bow).
Before we saw Zlatan, Cristiano and recently Bale execute the overhead, it was Rooney who brought it back in the vocabulary. My favorite all timer, the goal will go down as the greatest at Old Trafford.
#7 A jab, a cross, a hook, and a knockout
Well we all enjoy every 26th December for the Boxing Day sporting events like Australian Cricket or English Premier League, but what I am talking about is an unforgettable celebration that both tickled the funny bones as well as critiqued the internet age of absolute dross.
As Tottenham came to Old Trafford, a viral video of Rooney being involved in a friendly spar with mate Phil Bardsley became the topic of pre-match build up. Rooney, in a very Rooneyesque way, delivered on the pitch with a marauding solo goal.
However that was not even the best part, as his post-goal celebration gave us the enduring visuals of a boxing knockout. Way to take a joke and diffuse a possibly incendiary situation.
#8 Goals from the half-way line
Again we have two gems to admire. First came against West Ham in a United shirt. The second - well, also came against West Ham but in the blue of Everton.
The first was a volley from the half-way line in the presence of one David Beckham, talk about drama (remember Becks’s against Wimbledon)!
The second was from within his own half, and completed his first ever hat-trick for boyhood club Everton. A smashing, outside of the boot corker of a goal that did not just defy Physics, but also Everton’s dismal season.
#9 A chase, a tackle, and an assist
Like million of others in his legion of doting fans - ‘Rooney-maniacs’, it was difficult to see him cross the pond and go to a league where football does not mean football. It mostly means handball with few kicks and a whole lot of security gear!
Therefore, the soccer scene of MLS seemed like an anti-climax to my favorite fairy tale. However, I am glad to be wrong in my propensity for jeremiad predictions. The Audi field may have seen many glorious nights and sensational goals, but I doubt MLS will ever witness the script that came to life against Orlando City.
The score was locked at 2-2, 6th minute of injury time against a 10-man Orlando, and inexplicably the DC United goalkeeper came up to try and nick a winner from a corner. Predictably, seconds later he was seen scampering back like the roadrunner on Red Bull, as Orlando counter attacked with three players.
Their only hurdle to circumvent - a sprinting Rooney, half dead and half tired but obstinately unyielding. He chased down Orlando’s Will Johnson with a gaping goal in front of him, threw in a Maldini tackle (someone else came up with the adjective), and dribbled a few yards back into the opposition half.
Then in a very familiar way (he has been doing this before Pirlo became a half-decent deep-lying playmaker!), nauseating to some fickle Manchester United glory hunters, produced a match winning 50 yard assist.
That’s a Hollywood ending on Capitol Hill. In a span of seven seconds Rooney encapsulated what makes him a true sporting gold dust and a working class hero.
It is even more incredible when you have already seen the same scenario, be it in an England jersey, choreographed in a Nike-advertisement years ago. Spooky but splendid!
The fact is that although the curtain call is close and the mileage is almost at the end, there is plenty of gas in the tank, plenty of fire in the belly, plenty of desire in the heart, and a whole lot of fight in the warrior yet. And so for all watching, there remains plenty of reasons to fall in love with Wayne Rooney!
