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Thought Rooney had retired from playing in about 2012.
[Lampardian chuckle]
No, but seriously, Rooney was the last great English kick-and-rush player.
He was unlucky:
- with injuries in '06 and '10
- that his playing style became so anachronistic before he'd peaked
- that his fame made him undroppable when he was clearly past it
No, but seriously, Rooney was the last great English kick-and-rush player.
He was unlucky:
- with injuries in '06 and '10
- that his playing style became so anachronistic before he'd peaked
- that his fame made him undroppable when he was clearly past it
Given how Rooney's career period saw football start as a relatively simple, cacophonous power-and-passion contest and become something totally different - something to which he was nowhere near as suited to - it's to his credit that he achieved everything he did.
As Rooney neared and passed his peak, football went to never before seen extremes in technical quality, physical preparation and tactical detail, all of which were glaring weaknesses of his. And yet, Man Utd's top scorer, England's top scorer and a global icon.
