Wayne Rooney: A victim of Selflessness
Football attracts billions of people across the globe. The history of clubs has led so much punditry, rivalry and arguments between fans to settle debates ranging for Messi vs Ronaldo, to Manchester United vs Liverpool.
We, at MICA, started a Football Perspectives Club, where fans who think alike and opposite discuss unique perspectives of the Beautiful Sport.
Kicking off this series, we talk about Wayne Rooney.
Wayne Rooney, a name that United fans adore and football fans in general recall with love, hate and rivalry, a name which makes them nostalgic, yet a name that raises a lot of “what ifs?” A player who finished as the top scorer for, arguably the biggest club in the world, Manchester United, and his country, yet was criticised for not scoring enough, and not fulfilling his potential.
A player who joined United as an 18 year old, scoring a hattrick on debut on a Champions League night at Old Trafford, the scouse kid was destined for goals and greatness in Manchester.
An entire generation of Manchester United fans love Wayne Rooney. He was a beast on the game FIFA 08 and we have our fondest memories playing with Manchester United only because of him. He could pass, score and even defend when the team needed it. Maybe that was Rooney’s biggest problem. His versatility and more so his willingness to play out of position to accommodate other players.
Sir Alex Ferguson, used his versatility to the very best. In his 9 seasons under Sir Alex, Rooney won the league 5 times, the Champions League and the league cup thrice. An exceptional trophy laden stint in the history of the club.
Over these years, Wayne Rooney played as the central striker in just 2 seasons where he scored as many as 68 goals and United did not win the league in either season. In the seasons in which United won the league, he played 2nd fiddles to Cristiano Ronaldo, Dimitar Berbatov and Robin van Persie. Even after Ronaldo and Tevez left in consecutive seasons, United did not face a crisis because Rooney was willing to do everything for the club.
Wayne Rooney had been United’s long standing silent guard. The go to player for any position, he’s played as the centre forward, on the left, on the right, and despite being an attacking player, he played defensive midfielder when the team needed him. Mind you, he was phenomenal everywhere he played.
His biggest strength and his weakness? His selflessness. A player who could have left United in 2010 for the likes of Real Madrid, Milan and even arch rivals Chelsea, chose to stay. He continued to play wherever the team needed him, not thinking about personal milestones.
He scored his 250th goal for United against Stoke. This goal made him the top scorer in the club’s history, yet there was no celebration because United were trailing and he demanded the ball to go for the win. That is who Wayne Rooney is.
Every time Wayne Rooney scores, the Manchester United fan in me cries a tear of happiness.
