England's Wayne Rooney speaks to journalists during a news conference at Old Trafford in Manchester last month.-REUTERS LONDON (AP):
A SOCCER star or a disaster waiting to happen? Wayne Rooney turned 20 on Monday, a landmark birthday for a player with enormous potential and a volcanic temper that threatens to destroy his career.
Rooney, who came from a family of amateur boxers but has been in top-flight soccer since he was 16, has shown this season that he has the ability to become one of the all-time greats.
He beats two or three defenders at a time with his dribbling skills, scores with long-range shots on the run or from free kicks, makes expertly timed passes to his teammates and chases back to help his defence with strong tackles.
Then there is the other Wayne Rooney.
Only weeks after he became the youngest scorer in the English Premier League, he was the youngest to be sent off. When things go against him on the field, Rooney loses his temper and no one, it seems, can calm him down.
When he was shown a yellow card playing for England in a World Cup qualifying game against Northern Ireland, it ruled him out of the next match. When team captain David Beckham tried to reason with him, Rooney replied with a stream of expletives.
SHOWN YELLOW CARD
Rooney scored a hat trick in his Champions League debut for Manchester United in a 6-2 beating of Turkey's Fenerbahce last season. On his first appearance this term, he was shown the yellow card for a foul and responded by sarcastically applauding the referee. The result? An inevitable red card that ruled him out of two more games.
Rooney's fiery nature may be one of his strengths, however.
"His aggression is one of his big strengths," said England teammate Frank Lampard, who plays for United rival Chelsea. "The minute you take his spirit out of his game, you would lose a big part of what he gives the team.
"There's no fear about him at all. His character is pretty unique. He knows he has the ability, but he has this knack of being able to go out there and not be scared of anyone no matter who he is up against."
United's experienced manager, Alex Ferguson, is confident that he can keep Rooney under control.
"Every man and his dog has an opinion on him. The good thing is that he has his feet on the ground," Ferguson said. "He is at the right club and we know he can handle it. We will guide him."
Rooney's relationship with teenage girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin has also been regular tabloid material, especially after their shopping sprees.
POWERFUL BUILD
Rooney's powerful build also suggests he may have a weight problem in later years, which means that both Manchester United and England may have to make the most of his ability in the next three or four years.
Although he failed to score in any of England's 10 World Cup qualifying games, he set up plenty for his teammates. At next year's finals in Germany, he is expected to be England's top star, bigger than Beckham, Lampard, Michael Owen, Steven Gerrard or John Terry.
Rooney, who only occasionally gives interviews, has admitted he has to control his wild side.
"In the past I've made some bad decisions on the field but I want to learn from that," he said.
Now that he is no longer a teenager, Rooney may start to keep his temper under control. Maybe using Beckham as a role model is not such a good idea, however.
Playing for Real Madrid against Valencia on Sunday, Beckham was sent off. After receiving a yellow card, the England captain was shown the red one for sarcastically applauding the referee Rooney-style.
