Wayne Rooney,
born 24 October 1985, currently plays for Manchester United
and the England national football team.
Rooney was
brought up in a suburb of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth,
where he and his two brothers attended De La Salle School. He
wears the number 8 shirt for his club, and is generally given
the number 9 for his country.
Rooney is
noted not only for the deft touch and pace typical of a
teenage virtuoso, but also for his strength and physical
presence which are more usually the hallmarks of mature
players. While constantly in the limelight and surrounded by
media hype ever since first bursting onto the scene in 2002,
it was not until his performances at the UEFA European
Championships in Portugal during 2004 that he gained a
reputation on the world stage as he spearheaded the English
attack.
Several
commentators compare his impact to that made by the legendary
Brazilian Pelé at a similar age during the 1958 World Cup.
There are also others, who have compared him to Manchester
United legend Eric Cantona.
