ONCE PLAYERS HAVE HAD a taste of top football, it is very difficult for them not to seek out even more. It is not because of a lack of loyalty to their clubs that Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney may be interested in moving on, but a desire to improve.
In Rooney’s case, it is difficult to imagine him returning to Everton after the tournament, hard to contemplate him wandering into the Everton dressing-room for pre-season, taking the plaudits from the players, and then readying himself for a potential relegation battle. Or envisage him sitting at home watching the Champions League on television, when he would feel he should be testing himself in the competition. It wouldn ‘t take much for him to hark back to playing with England’s top players and listening to stories from David Beckham talking about life at Real Madrid, or Gary Neville at Manchester United.
To those who think that he should stay at Goodison Park for a few more years to learn his trade, I would argue that he would only stagnate in a poor Everton team that needs an investment more than Rooney is alone worth to turn into a decent side. He would learn little from being involved in a relegation scrap next season. Too many average players can make you look average, too.
He struggled last season, burdened by the pressure of Everton pinning their hopes on him and their long-ball style of play. His form dipped — except for the odd glimpse — from the brilliance of the previous season when he burst on to the scene and, admittedly, Everton were having a better time, and he was largely playing without responsibility. If defenders have begun to learn his game, he can now combat that by playing with better players who can enhance his game.
He has exceptional talent, but it can blossom further only when he is surrounded by great players and coaches. It was only when I left Gillingham after six years that I started to develop and improve, helped by a higher standard of football, better coaching and more intelligent players. And then when I played for Ireland, Liam Brady would tell me where to run, where he would put the ball, and invariably, he would deliver. It could be frustrating for Rooney to go from Beckham dropping accurate balls over his shoulder to Everton players delivering wayward passes. Players such as Michael Owen have said that you need to learn quickly when you acquire fame because things become harder.
Advertisement
Rooney’s dilemma may be that there are few clubs that can afford him. At 18, moving to London to play for Chelsea, or abroad, would be a poor option. Some would say that should he move to Manchester United, he may not get a regular game with forwards such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Louis Saha, Alan Smith, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the squad. But Sir Alex Ferguson might be an ideal manager to nurture his talent and I would argue that Rooney doesn’t play regularly for Everton now. Anyway, he would be aggressive and force his way into the United team.
Of the recent England players to have flourished at leading tournaments, Owen benefited from returning after France 98 to Liverpool team with a few top players, but David Platt appeared indifferent when he came back to Aston Villa after a successful Italia 90. Watching Platt in training, it was evident to me that he did not want to be at the club.
It was a year wasted. He wanted to move to Italy and was already learning the language. He was a nuisance, at times, for Jozef Venglos, the newly-appointed Czech manger. Platt stormed out of training on a couple of occasions, not wanting to do certain exercises. He scored goals, without playing well for the team.
It’s a matter of when Rooney will leave. Should he stay at Everton, he will most likely have a mediocre season and his transfer value may dip a little. Everton would benefit too from selling him when he is on a high.
YOUNG STARS
Advertisement
Gary Lineker
Mexico ‘86
The sharp, sensible striker had finished as the old first division’s top scorer for Everton in 1985-86 so was in form heading into the World Cup and, at 25, in his prime. He notched a hat-trick inside 35 minutes against Poland, scored two more against Paraguay in the second round, and another against Argentina in the quarter-finals to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer. Before the competition Lineker had agreed to swap Everton for Barcelona. After it, his reputation was sky-high. The goals kept coming: another four followed at Italia ‘90, by which time he was at Tottenham Hotspur. Euro ‘92, however, proved to be a sad end to his England career.
Paul Gascoigne
Italia ‘90
Admired worldwide after his impressive performances as a 23-year-old at the World Cup, and famous for his tears in the semi-final against West Germany, “Gazzamania” swept England. But he was unable to cope with the pressures of his celebrity and a self-destructive, addictive personality. Less than a year later he was crying again after a vicious tackle on Gary Charles in the FA Cup Final that ruptured his own cruciate ligament. More injuries would follow and a move to Lazio was not a success. Gascoigne’s fading international career ended when Glenn Hoddle did not pick him for the 1998 World Cup.
Advertisement
Michael Owen
France ‘98
Glenn Hoddle, the England coach, doubted whether the Liverpool striker — just 18 — was ready to play in such a big tournament, even suggesting that he was not a “natural goalscorer”. Owen proved his worth beyond all doubt. On as a late substitute in the second group game, he scored against Romania. Hoddle bowed to the inevitable and played Owen from the start against Colombia and again in the next round against Argentina, when that goal, supplemented by a confident penalty in the shoot-out, saw him feted as one of the globe’s brightest talents. He scored one goal, against Romania, as England flopped in Euro 2000. Has so far resisted the chance to leave Anfield but whisperings of a move abroad have grown louder of late. Injuries, though, appear to have diminished his potency.
Advertisement
TOM DART