“Their common age is 26. They’re within the prime of their footballing lives,” Clive Tyldesley, the ITV commentator, mentioned into his microphone as England ready to kick off towards France at Euro 2004.
David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Michael Owen, Sol Campbell… this was England’s golden era at their peak.
But it was the baby-faced murderer amongst them, or the assassin-faced child as some preferred to name him, who performed as if he was able to take over the world.
This summer time marks 20 years since Wayne Rooney, aged 18, went on the rampage at Euro 2004.
“Like a raging bull,” Emile Heskey, the previous England striker, says. “The youthful enthusiasm, plus the fearlessness. He was phenomenal.”
Uncooked, unstable and prodigiously proficient, Rooney scored 4 objectives in three-and-a-bit video games (England will without end surprise what may need been however for that metatarsal damage within the early levels of the quarter-final towards Portugal), and lit up the group stage.
“I don’t keep in mind anybody making such an impression on a match since Pele within the 1958 World Cup,” Sven-Goran Eriksson, England’s supervisor, mentioned. “He’s a whole footballer.”
(Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar by way of Getty Pictures)
Straight outta Croxteth, Rooney’s means was a product of the place he grew up in Liverpool slightly than how he had been coached.
“No person can take credit score for Wayne’s improvement,” David Moyes, Rooney’s supervisor when he broke by means of at Everton, mirrored a few years later. “He’s in all probability the final of these road gamers that was once the trend once you return to all of the greats.”
That was how Rooney performed in Portugal – as if he had simply walked out of his previous home on Armill Highway, on the council property that formed and outlined his upbringing, with a ball tucked underneath his arm, able to tackle anybody and everybody who fancied their probabilities.
“Soccer vanity, in that he simply didn’t care,” says Jamie Carragher, who was a part of the England squad at Euro 2004.
“He was taking part in the best stage of soccer that you can play wherever on the earth that summer time and he handled it like he was coaching with Everton’s youth staff. He was operating round, knocking folks out the best way and simply doing what he wished.”
The France recreation was astonishing. Rooney nutmegged Robert Pires, went toe-to-toe with Claude Makelele, pirouetted away from Zinedine Zidane with a roulette flip, gained a penalty with a wide ranging run that began from inside his personal half, and revelled within the worry that he noticed within the eyes of Lilian Thuram and Mikael Silvestre.
“I believe you can see their centre-backs had been scared to go close to me,” Rooney mentioned on the Amazon documentary about his life that was launched two years in the past.
Whether or not you had been watching at dwelling from the consolation of your couch, excessive up within the stands within the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, and even pitchside on the England substitutes’ bench, Rooney’s emergence as a global star made for compelling viewing.
“I keep in mind everybody was simply taking a look at one another open-mouthed,” Carragher says.
“I image that scene with (Paul) Merson laughing after Owen’s purpose towards Argentina in 1998 – we had been like that on the bench (towards France). We had been like, ‘Oh my God. Is he actually doing that to these gamers?’”
🏴 When teenager Wayne Rooney dazzled at EURO 2004 🤩
👀 Which teenager are you backing to shine for the Three Lions this time?@England | @WayneRooney | #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/bNTbCxQjkF
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 13, 2021
Trying again, it was a watershed second for Rooney, who moved to Previous Trafford from Everton for greater than £25million (then $45m) later that summer time.
“I don’t suppose he was stitched on for Manchester United earlier than Euro 2004,” says Tyldesley, who delivered his well-known ‘Keep in mind the title’ commentary line nearly two years earlier, after Rooney had scored that purpose towards Arsenal for Everton.
“I believe there was an enormous shout for Newcastle on the time and perhaps Chelsea. However there was hypothesis about his future slightly than an inevitability that he would begin the brand new season in numerous colors.
“So this, actually, is your story: this was the making of Wayne Rooney, this was when he got here to the world’s consideration.”
“I doubt how a lot Rooney can provide to England. He’s very younger – too younger for such a tough competitors like this. He lacks worldwide expertise, so for England to rely upon him to attain their objectives is harmful. Rooney isn’t Michael Owen – he was a much better participant on his debut for the England staff.”
Thuram poked the bear with these pre-match feedback.
Rooney later admitted that he made a psychological observe of them – and, Rooney being Rooney, he was by no means going to let it relaxation there.
Within the second half towards France, in an uncharacteristically untidy passage of play from him on the night time, Rooney stumbled over the ball twice in fast succession. What occurred subsequent was extra calculated. Thuram stepped in to make a problem however Rooney, holding out his proper arm, noticed the defender coming.
“I simply banged proper into his jaw after which I regarded again at him as if to say: ‘Now you understand who I’m.’”
(PAUL BARKER/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Thuram was 14 years his senior and one of the distinguished defenders on the earth on the time. However Rooney didn’t care one bit about that.
When he recalled the incident in 2022, half a lifetime later, Rooney mentioned that he might nonetheless see the expression on Thuram’s face. “The worry of pondering: ‘What am I going to do right here?’”
Little greater than 10 minutes later, David Beckham hooked a protracted ball in the direction of the left flank, the place Rooney was stationed near the midway line. With Thuram closing in on him, Rooney nonchalantly lifted the ball over the centre-back’s head and accelerated away, leaving him in his wake. As Rooney bore down on purpose, Silvestre got here throughout and scythed him down for a stonewall penalty. It was unbelievable to look at. Rooney was single-handedly tormenting France.
(Ross Kinnaird/Getty Pictures)
The belief has all the time been that Thuram was disrespectful in the direction of Rooney earlier than the sport, displaying an ignorance bordering on vanity with these dismissive remarks about him, however Olivier Dacourt insists that was not the case.
In accordance with Dacourt, Thuram had the identical mindset as Benoit Assou-Ekotto, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur full-back who paid little consideration to something to do with soccer aside from when he was operating round with a pair of trainers on.
“If you understand Lilian, Lilian doesn’t comply with soccer, he doesn’t care,” Dacourt says. “He’s following soccer now along with his youngsters (Thuram’s two sons are professionals), however on the time he didn’t actually have a tv at dwelling.
“I keep in mind the primary time he met Jean-Alain Boumsong (the previous Rangers and Newcastle defender), he didn’t know who he was!”
Dacourt, who got here on as a late substitute for France within the England recreation, breaks into laughter.
“Lilian mentioned, ‘Who is that this man?’ I needed to introduce the 2 of them – it was with the nationwide staff. Are you able to think about that?
“So Lilian wasn’t being disrespectful (in the direction of Rooney). It was simply that he didn’t know.”
Both means, Rooney was within the temper to go away an indelible mark on anybody who crossed his path at Euro 2004. He had hearth in these iconic Nike Whole 90 boots and welcomed confrontation.
(Shaun Botterill/Getty Pictures)
“There’s a well-known Elbow track, ‘Lippy Children’, and Wayne was that lippy child,” Tyldesley says. “I’m positive that’s what the opponents noticed. He had that mischief in his eyes the place he wished you to recollect him past the sport.”
Crucially, Rooney additionally had the expertise and the physicality to again it up.
“At 16, Wayne Rooney was in a person’s physique, and he knew how one can put that physique round,” Heskey provides. “You wouldn’t have believed his age. He was like that darts participant.”
Luke Littler, who reached the World Darts Championship ultimate in January on the age of 16, might effectively recognize that comparability greater than Rooney, however you get the purpose that Heskey is making an attempt to make. Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that each one Manchester United’s “intelligence about Wayne Rooney as an Evertonian schoolboy might be condensed right into a single phrase. This was a person taking part in in under-age soccer.”
Tyldesley nods. “You nearly must look again at footage from that period to recollect what Wayne Rooney regarded like at 18. He was battle-ready when he was first enlisted as a result of not solely was he a gifted road footballer, however he was streetwise with a bullish physicality.
“And having lived on Merseyside for 15 years and acquired a little bit perception – and I stress a little bit – into how totally different that metropolis is from most within the UK, I’ve all the time been of the conclusion that the thought of dealing with (Patrick) Vieira and Thuram within the opening recreation of a serious championship was one thing that he might soak up his stride as a result of he’d in all probability seen extra scary issues on his means dwelling from faculty in Croxteth. And I hope that doesn’t sound dismissive in the direction of Merseyside, as a result of (his upbringing) was the making of him.”
In the end, Rooney’s efforts towards France had been in useless. Beckham’s spot kick was saved and England, who had been main by means of Frank Lampard’s first-half header, pressed the self-destruct button in added time, when Zidane scored twice, first with an beautiful free kick after which with a penalty following Gerrard’s blind backpass.
No less than England didn’t must look too far for a silver lining in defeat – everybody was speaking about Rooney, together with the French.
“A type of new Paul Gascoigne,” L’Equipe mentioned of their participant scores. “The irascible 18-year-old confirmed huge preventing spirit.”
Naturally, the French sports activities paper nonetheless solely gave Rooney 6.5 out of 10.
Bruno Berner shakes his head. “I nonetheless can’t consider that these guys didn’t obtain something,” the previous Switzerland worldwide says.
“Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham… it appears inconceivable. It was a world-class English staff and now you’ve gotten a younger lad coming by means of the ranks with unbelievable starvation. That is what I keep in mind with Rooney.
“All of us noticed him in his first Premier League video games. So we, because the Swiss nationwide staff, didn’t for one minute underestimate an 18-year-old Wayne Rooney.”
Switzerland had been up subsequent for England and Rooney carried on the place he left off towards France, solely this time he added objectives to his recreation too. The primary was a header that created historical past as he turned the youngest goalscorer within the European Championship finals, and the second was a shot that hit the publish and went in off the again of the top of the Switzerland keeper Jorg Stiel.
(Mark Leech/Offside by way of Getty Pictures)
In a staff of A-listers, Rooney was operating the present and taking part in with extraordinary self-belief. “I keep in mind in that match, at 18, pondering to myself, ‘I’m one of the best participant on the earth, there’s nobody higher than me.’ And I consider at the moment I used to be.”
Berner smiles. “I can effectively think about he would say that. He was simply filled with confidence and he delivered.
“He didn’t care who was in entrance of him on the pitch, he took the shortest solution to the purpose. That is what we noticed, or I noticed, at the moment. However you possibly can solely do this if you end up completely fearless. Not conceited. Fearless.”
Rooney’s second purpose towards Croatia, in England’s third group recreation, was a living proof. He performed a one-two with Owen, sprinted clear from simply contained in the Croatia half and also you knew – you simply knew – that he would rating. Direct and lethal, he glanced in the direction of one nook and swept the ball into the opposite.
By that stage, Rooney had already drilled in a shot from exterior the field and arrange a purpose for Paul Scholes.
🏴🆚🇭🇷 EURO 2004 version: Two Wayne Rooney objectives helped England to a 4-2 victory in Lisbon within the group stage… #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/4FBqU4vEJF
— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 13, 2021
“His motion, his velocity… he was not human,” Dario Simic, the Croatia right-back, says. “He was a beast – like out of a movie the place you see somebody who’s simply naturally so sturdy with out going to the gymnasium.”
England had been by means of to the quarter-finals and Roo-mania was now sweeping throughout the nation. “HEROO”, yelled the Each day Mirror entrance web page.
A Portugal aspect that includes a core of gamers from the Porto staff that had simply gained the Champions League, in addition to Luis Figo and a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo, had been up subsequent.
The host nation could be tough opponents however England had been buoyant after scoring seven objectives of their earlier two matches. On high of that, they’d the standout participant within the match to date.
What might probably go incorrect?
A fractured metatarsal, that’s what.
Working for a ball alongside Jorge Andrade, Rooney misplaced his boot after the Portugal defender by chance trod on his foot. Rooney tried to hold on however winced as quickly as he began operating and dropped to the ground moments later. He had heard a crack.
(Laurence Griffiths/Getty Pictures)
Gary Lewin, England’s physio, feared the worst right away. “I keep in mind there’s an image of him on the ground and I’m speaking to Sven and I mentioned to Sven: ‘This might be his metatarsal. I’m involved.’ I believe he tried it… you understand what Wazza is like, ‘Let me get on with it.’ However he knew himself,” Lewin says.
The sport was lower than half an hour previous and Rooney’s Euro 2004 was over. He was devastated and so had been England’s gamers. “It was a kind of moments that breaks your focus, breaks your rhythm, breaks the whole lot in a recreation – seeing your talisman strolling off the pitch,” Owen advised the BBC of their World at His Toes documentary.
Not surprisingly, it galvanised Portugal. “We had been relieved, in fact. I’m not going to lie,” says Costinha, the previous Portuguese midfielder. “Rooney was an amazing participant.
“On the identical time, once you play for the nationwide staff and play within the greatest competitions, you all the time wish to play towards one of the best gamers as a result of that’s the best way you enhance.
“However it was higher for us that he was out of the sport. He gave us a little bit little bit of relaxation in defence when he went off.
“When you’ve gotten different gamers like (Darius) Vassell and Heskey within the assault, you understand their strengths. However when you’ve gotten an 18-year-old like Rooney, who’s an absolute expertise, typically these gamers are unpredictable. He was very tough to mark and management.”
Rooney watched the remainder of the sport, which Portugal gained on penalties, from a hospital mattress, desirous about what may need been.
Fifteen years later, as his taking part in profession got here to an in depth, his view hadn’t modified. “The shape I used to be in, the boldness I had, if I stayed match I consider we’d have gained,” Rooney advised Gary Neville, his former England and Manchester United team-mate, in an interview on Sky Sports activities.
What we didn’t know then – and what we couldn’t have believed then – is that Rooney would by no means come near reprising that kind for England at a serious match once more.
As a substitute, there have been badly-timed accidents, a crimson card, arguments with England followers, humiliating exits and, maybe greater than something, inconsistent performances – from Rooney in addition to his team-mates.
So does that imply that Euro 2004 was prime Rooney?
“No, I might say that was Rooney given freedom,” Heskey replies. “It was off the cuff – you’re simply taking part in. Whenever you’re older you are inclined to play inside a technique and the techniques of the staff. However when he was youthful it was simply: ‘Give me the ball and let me do what I do.’”
Carragher agrees. “I don’t suppose that was Rooney at his peak. There’s little doubt he turned a greater participant – he had a few seasons at Manchester United the place he was one of the best participant within the Premier League. However there’s additionally little doubt it was his greatest match and his standout second in an England shirt.
“I believe Euro 2004 was Rooney with the world not understanding an excessive amount of about him, and him not pondering an excessive amount of about soccer. As he acquired older and acquired extra mature, he would have thought in regards to the recreation extra, he would have considered what an enormous recreation means, the expectation stage. However I believe this was a participant who, as you mentioned earlier than, didn’t give a f*** mainly, and that was a road footballer.”
(Images: Getty Pictures/Design: Eamonn Dalton)
