Wayne Rooney: A Hero Turned into Zero

There is no doubt, Wayne Rooney is one of the best footballers of current time and he has all the qualities to become a legendary figure of World Football. However, Rooney’s poor form in the World Cup and his inability to transform his club form into international stage are now being fully criticized.

It is no surprise that Rooney, who was thought to be England’s biggest hope in the World Cup, has now turned into a zero figure in England following the Three Lions’ World Cup exit after a 4-1 humiliating defeat to Germany.

Rooney had his best season at Manchester United last season as he scored 34 goals. His high-flying performance earned him a number of prestigious awards of Premier League last season including Barclays Player of the Season, FWA Footballer of the Year, PFA Fans' Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year.

Having scored so many goals and earned so many accolades, Rooney had immense pressure of expectation on his shoulder which he failed to deal with in South Africa. Moreover, he also looked out of shape and it appeared the ankle injury, that he had suffered while playing against Bayern Munich in the quarter final of Champions League, was still troubling him in South Africa.

Most importantly, the exhausting Premier League season took a heavy toll on his body and he could not get his rhythm back. The intensity of Premier League is so high that no other European league can come even close in comparison.

Almost all the England players failed to perform at their best because they had already given a lot to meet the physical demand of Premier League. Steven Gerrard, who missed a lot of action for Liverpool due to injury last season, was perhaps the best performer for England in the World Cup.

So, it would be unfair to blame Wayne Rooney. Rather, people should praise him because he was totally dedicated to do something for his country in football’s biggest stage, despite him not being hundred percent fit physically.