England: Is Wayne Rooney’s international career done?
After another miserable tournament for England, is Wayne Rooney’s time up for his national side?
When Rooney broke onto the scene for Everton as a teenager, the nation thought the next Michael Owen or Alan Shearer had arrived. As Owen’s international career was nearing an end, Rooney was ready to take over the reigns.
Rooney was a fearless young striker who scored goals for fun. At Euro 2004 he netted four times, tied with Holland’s Ruud van Nistelrooy for second most at the tournament. Since then, however, it’s been a bumpy ride at major tournaments for Rooney.
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Since those exciting afternoons in Portugal, Rooney has found the net just three times in five major tournaments. He has just one World Cup goal to his name and two in the Euros since 2004, including his penalty against Iceland this week.
Rooney is England’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals, yet only seven of these have come in games where it truly matters. Scoring in qualifiers and friendlies is all well and good, but the top strikers do it on the grandest stage.
Like many of his England teammates since failing to qualify for Euro 2008, Rooney has been a ghost at major tournaments. Rooney was sent off in England’s quarter-final exit to Portugal in the 2006 World Cup, and the national side’s record in major tournaments has been awful from that point on.
England in major tournaments since World Cup 2006
Euro 2008: Did not qualify
World Cup 2010: Round of 16 (W1, D2, L1)
Euro 2012: Quarter-Finals (W2, D1, L1)
World Cup 2014: Group Stage (W0, D1, L2)
Euro 2016: Round of 16 (W1, D2, L1)
In this time, England have failed to win a single game in the knockout stages. Their last win was in the Round of 16 of World Cup 2006, a 1-0 win over Ecuador.
Rooney isn’t the only reason for the lack of success but he must shoulder some of the blame. As he’s become a more senior member of the squad, especially at this Euros with a squad filled with young players, Rooney has too often gone missing.
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All of those goals scored in qualification games go up in smoke when the world is watching. Rooney, as well as many other members of the England squad, freeze on the international stage, which is a head scratcher for fans who see them excel under the bright lights of the Champions League and Premier League.
The management of the team is also to blame. Steve McClaren’s run in charge was embarrassing, with a lasting image of him stood under an umbrella as England failed to qualify for Euro 2008. Fabio Capello was no better with his strict nutrition plan and tactics. Roy Hodgson is simply added to the long line of failures after being humiliated by Iceland this week.
Rooney is only 30-years-old and could easily suit up in the World Cup two years from now, but it’s time for England to move on from the player who promised so much as a teenager.
With so much striking talent available, Rooney’s role was that of a midfielder. While he played reasonably well for two games, he was left woefully exposed by Iceland, and it makes you wonder what a team like Germany or Italy would have done.
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Rooney will go down in history as England’s leading scorer, but fans of this era will remember him most for underachieving under the brightest lights. It’s time to move on.