Why Wayne Rooney is England’s most important player

October 17, 2008

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life. After notching five goals in his last three England games, he has started to show the form that many England fans have been hoping for since he burst onto the scene during Euro 2004. Under the new boss, Fabio Capello, Rooney has flourished and helped England top their World Cup Qualification group after four wins from four games.

So, not only has this been the best run of form by an England team for many years, it is also been a time when Rooney showed that he can consistently score at international level. He said recently that he wanted to be regarded in the same category as the liked of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in terms of quality. After his recent displays for club and country, this has become extremely realistic. Rooney is a world-class performer and is beginning to show this on a regular basis. Long may it continue. The most significant factor for me though is that not only is Rooney England’s most talented player, he is also becoming England’s most important player. By this I mean that England wouldn’t be the same team without him. He brings the ‘genius’ element to the team and without him – Capello would be scratching his head when considering his attacking options. Not being able to cope without him is something unique to Rooney. Without captain Jon Terry in the last two games – England have coped. Without Steven Gerrard against Kazakhstan – England coped. Without Joe Cole – England have coped. However, would England have coped without the presence of Rooney so far in this World Cup qualifying campaign? I don’t think so. There would be a huge, irreplaceable void left by the in-form striker and that’s why he is England’s most important player. In the games against Croatia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, Rooney has been sheer class. Even though England could have still emerged victorious without him, there is no way it would have been with as much conviction or quality. Rooney is England’s finest and I am so pleased we are beginning to see why on a more regular basis. Of course, much of Rooney’s recent good form has been down to being played in the correct position. He must play centrally and not be wasted down the left or right flank. Play him down the middle and he will score goals. In fact, after notching 14 goals so far in his England career, I would like to see the football odds on Rooney becoming England’s leading scorer of all time. He is only 22-years-old after all. As for England, well they now have to wait until April 2009 for their next World Cup qualifier. There are a couple of friendlies between now and then, but the most important thing for me is that when it comes to the Ukraine game in six months time, Wayne Rooney is still in the sparkling form he has showed in recent weeks. By Thomas Rooney – A sports writer who blogs about football betting