By Mark Lomas
It's difficult to envisage how things could get much better for Wayne Rooney. Winning goals in Madrid in May and Johannesburg in July would probably do it, but nevertheless, the Manchester United striker is enjoying the richest vein of form of his career and has got the world talking about just how much of an impact he can make at this year's finals in South Africa.
GettyImagesWayne Rooney will be spearheading England's World Cup assault in South Africa
The Champions League has history of bringing out both the best and worst in Rooney, from a scintillating hat-trick on his Old Trafford debut against Fenerbahce in 2004, to a petulant red card against Villarreal in the group stages in 2005 - the only season in which United have been eliminated before the knockout rounds in the past 14 years.
On Tuesday, in a 4-0 demolition of a Milan side that just three years ago sent United packing at the semi-final stage, Rooney again demonstrated why he is fast becoming the favourite to usurp Lionel Messi as the world's best player. It was the latest in a series of headed goals, something that he credits to both practice and favourable follicles.
"It was a great performance by us," Rooney said on the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. "I think AC Milan are one of the great teams and to beat them 4-0 is a great achievement for us, so obviously I'm happy with the result. Of course [I practice a lot], I think probably it's coming off my bald patch and that's helping me score! But of course I've been working on my heading a lot and thankfully that's paying off."
Rooney's impressive goal haul this season has vindicated those who have called for him to play in the position in which he has been most comfortable since playing on the parks of Merseyside as a youngster - an out-and-out striker. And it seems Sir Alex Ferguson may have been watching the way England boss Fabio Capello deployed Rooney in that very position, after seeing him plunder nine goals in World Cup qualifying.
"I think I've been in the box a lot more" Rooney explained. "I've been working on my timing and on my finishing and I've also played up front in every game this season when I've played - I think that's definitely the main reason for me scoring a lot of goals.
"I've played a lot of games up front on my own and when you're the lone striker you know you have to stay up the pitch because you need to be the focal point in your team. I'm not running back quite as much but I'm doing all my work more in the opponents' half."
It is Capello who is rubbing his hands the most as he knows that he has one of the most dangerous weapons at his disposal in South Africa. Rooney admits that while he is fully focused on the task at hand with United, it is difficult not to keep one eye on the biggest spectacle in world football.
"You try not to think too much about the World Cup because you need to do the job with your club first. But it's always there in your mind and when it comes it's a dream to play for your country in any competition and at the World Cup it's an unbelievable feeling.
"I thought we played really well in our qualifying games and I was a bit gutted that we lost the last game because it would have been nice to go through the whole campaign and win every game so that left a bit of a bad taste. But we played really well in the qualifying campaign and we fully deserved to go through.
GettyImagesWayne Rooney remembers watching Michael Owen's goal against Argentina in 1998 from the comfort of his sofa
This year, Rooney hopes it will be he who steals the headlines that were reserved for his current United team-mate 12 years ago, and he is undoubtedly one of the players who has garnered the most attention from opposition managers.
He has been described as "extra-special" by Australia coach Pim Verbeek, "unstoppable" by Germany coach Joachim Low and "the complete player" by Leonardo, after he saw the England striker net four goals in two matches against his AC Milan side. But despite all the praise, Rooney insists it is only the opinion of a select few that matters to him, and was quick to point to the contribution of his team-mates to his form.
"Obviously it's nice for top coaches to say good things about you but if I'm being honest I don't really read into it too much. I listen to my manager at England and my manager at Manchester United, and my family and friends - if they tell me I'm doing well I'll listen to them.
"My team-mates know for sure that I'm getting the goals but I wouldn't be getting the goals without them so they've been a big part of my success this year and hopefully we will be successful as a team at the end of the year.
Over the past two years, it has been clear to see a change in Rooney - but it is not simply because he has now been charged with spearheading the United attack in the absence of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, the Portuguese forward's transfer to Real Madrid has allowed him to be the focal point of the team, but more than that, Rooney's temperament has mellowed, though crucially, he has not lost his irrepressible energy and passionate approach to playing the game.
He is clearly benefitting from better anger management, and Rooney reveals that the birth of his first son, Kai, last November, has given him even greater motivation to develop a calmer persona.
"I think I've changed a lot over the last couple of years, obviously becoming a father you have to change and you have to be a role model to your son and someone he can look up to so that's what I've done. He's been to a few games although he probably doesn't know what's happening. The important thing for me was when he came to watch at Everton - the two teams I've played for and the teams who he'll support as well.
"It's something I'm looking forward to. I've got little cousins who come to the games and you see what it means to them to watch you play and for me to know that there watching me. When my son comes to watch me every week it will be an amazing feeling and something that I will be proud of.
GettyImagesWayne Rooney: Targeting World Cup glory
"We're in a great position with Man United, top of the league at the minute and through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and obviously with England it's going well and we're preparing right and hopefully by the time we meet up with England, we'll have a great tournament and you never know, we might have this [trophy] back at the end of the end of July."
souce : soccernet.espn.go.com
