“Their common age is 26. They’re within the prime of their footballing lives,” Clive Tyldesley, the ITV commentator, stated into his microphone as England ready to kick off in opposition to 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 technology at their peak.
Yet 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 season 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.”
Raw, unstable and prodigiously proficient, Rooney scored 4 objectives in three-and-a-bit video games (England will perpetually surprise what might need been however for that metatarsal damage within the early levels of the quarter-final in opposition to Portugal), and lit up the group stage.
“I don’t keep in mind anybody making such an affect on a event since Pele within the 1958 World Cup,” Sven-Goran Eriksson, England’s supervisor, stated. “He’s a whole footballer.”
(Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto/Allstar by way of Getty Images)
Straight outta Croxteth, Rooney’s capability was a product of the place he grew up in Liverpool slightly than how he had been coached.
“Nobody can take credit score for Wayne’s improvement,” David Moyes, Rooney’s supervisor when he broke by way of at Everton, mirrored a few years later. “He might be the final of these avenue gamers that was once the trend if you return to all of the greats.”
That was how Rooney performed in Portugal – as if he had simply walked out of his outdated home on Armill Road, on the council property that formed and outlined his upbringing, with a ball tucked below his arm, able to tackle anybody and everybody who fancied their possibilities.
“Football conceitedness, in that he simply didn’t care,” says Jamie Carragher, who was a part of the England squad at Euro 2004.
“He was enjoying the best stage of soccer that you could possibly play wherever on the planet that summer season 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 needed.”
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 feel you could possibly see their centre-backs had been scared to go close to me,” Rooney stated on the Amazon documentary about his life that was launched two years in the past.
Whether you had been watching at house 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 objective in opposition to Argentina in 1998 – we had been like that on the bench (in opposition to 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 teen 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
Looking again, it was a watershed second for Rooney, who moved to Old Trafford from Everton for greater than £25million (then $45m) later that summer season.
“I don’t suppose he was stitched on for Manchester United earlier than Euro 2004,” says Tyldesley, who delivered his well-known ‘Remember the identify’ commentary line nearly two years earlier, after Rooney had scored that objective in opposition to Arsenal for Everton.
“I feel there was a giant shout for Newcastle on the time and perhaps Chelsea. But there was hypothesis about his future slightly than an inevitability that he would begin the brand new season in several 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 may give to England. He may be very younger – too younger for such a tough competitors like this. He lacks worldwide expertise, so for England to rely on 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 notice of them – and, Rooney being Rooney, he was by no means going to let it relaxation there.
In the second half in opposition to 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 seemed again at him as if to say: ‘Now you understand who I’m.’”
(PAUL BARKER/AFP by way of Getty Images)
Thuram was 14 years his senior and one of the crucial distinguished defenders on the planet on the time. But Rooney didn’t care one bit about that.
When he recalled the incident in 2022, half a lifetime later, Rooney stated 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 an extended 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 objective, Silvestre got here throughout and scythed him down for a stonewall penalty. It was unbelievable to observe. Rooney was single-handedly tormenting France.
(Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
The assumption has at all times been that Thuram was disrespectful in the direction of Rooney earlier than the sport, displaying an ignorance bordering on conceitedness with these dismissive remarks about him, however Olivier Dacourt insists that was not the case.
According to 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 shoes on.
“If you understand Lilian, Lilian doesn’t comply with soccer, he doesn’t care,” Dacourt says. “He’s following soccer now together with his youngsters (Thuram’s two sons are professionals), however on the time he didn’t also have a tv at house.
“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 stated, ‘Who is that this man?’ I needed to introduce the 2 of them – it was with the nationwide staff. Can you think about that?
“So Lilian wasn’t being disrespectful (in the direction of Rooney). It was simply that he didn’t know.”
Either manner, Rooney was within the temper to go away an indelible mark on anybody who crossed his path at Euro 2004. He had fireplace in these iconic Nike Total 90 boots and welcomed confrontation.
(Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
“There’s a well-known Elbow music, ‘Lippy Kids’, 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 needed 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 the best way to 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, could effectively recognize that comparability greater than Rooney, however you get the purpose that Heskey is attempting to make. Sir Alex Ferguson wrote in his autobiography that every one Manchester United’s “intelligence about Wayne Rooney as an Evertonian schoolboy may very well be condensed right into a single phrase. This was a person enjoying in under-age soccer.”
Tyldesley nods. “You nearly have to look again at footage from that period to recollect what Wayne Rooney seemed like at 18. He was battle-ready when he was first enlisted as a result of not solely was he a gifted avenue footballer, however he was streetwise with a bullish physicality.
“And having lived on Merseyside for 15 years and received just a little perception – and I stress just a little – into how completely different that metropolis is from most within the UK, I’ve at all times been of the conclusion that the concept 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 most likely seen extra scary issues on his manner house from college 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.”
Ultimately, Rooney’s efforts in opposition to France had been in useless. Beckham’s spot kick was saved and England, who had been main by way 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.
At least England didn’t have to look too far for a silver lining in defeat – everybody was speaking about Rooney, together with the French.
“A form of new Paul Gascoigne,” L’Equipe stated of their participant scores. “The irascible 18-year-old confirmed monumental 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 imagine 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 way of the ranks with unbelievable starvation. This is what I keep in mind with Rooney.
“We all 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 in opposition to France, solely this time he added objectives to his recreation too. The first was a header that created historical past as he grew to become 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 pinnacle of the Switzerland keeper Jorg Stiel.
(Mark Leech/Offside by way of Getty Images)
In a staff of A-listers, Rooney was operating the present and enjoying with extraordinary self-belief. “I keep in mind in that event, at 18, pondering to myself, ‘I’m the very best participant on the planet, there’s nobody higher than me.’ And I imagine at the moment I used to be.”
Berner smiles. “I can effectively think about he would say that. He was simply stuffed 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 objective. This is what we noticed, or I noticed, at the moment. But you may solely try this if you end up completely fearless. Not boastful. Fearless.”
Rooney’s second objective in opposition to 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 outdoors the field and arrange a objective 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 pace… 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 robust with out going to the fitness center.”
England had been by way of to the quarter-finals and Roo-mania was now sweeping throughout the nation. “HEROO”, yelled the Daily 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 can be troublesome opponents however England had been buoyant after scoring seven objectives of their earlier two matches. On prime of that, that they had the standout participant within the event to this point.
What might presumably go mistaken?
A fractured metatarsal, that’s what.
Running for a ball alongside Jorge Andrade, Rooney misplaced his boot after the Portugal defender by accident 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 Images)
Gary Lewin, England’s physio, feared the worst immediately. “I keep in mind there’s an image of him on the ground and I’m speaking to Sven and I stated to Sven: ‘This may very well be his metatarsal. I’m involved.’ I feel he tried it… you understand what Wazza is like, ‘Let me get on with it.’ But he knew himself,” Lewin says.
The recreation was lower than half an hour outdated 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 every part in a recreation – seeing your talisman strolling off the pitch,” Owen advised the BBC of their World at His Feet documentary.
Not surprisingly, it galvanised Portugal. “We had been relieved, after all. I’m not going to lie,” says Costinha, the previous Portuguese midfielder. “Rooney was an amazing participant.
“At the identical time, if you play for the nationwide staff and play within the greatest competitions, you at all times wish to play in opposition to the very best gamers as a result of that’s the best way you enhance.
“But it was higher for us that he was out of the sport. He gave us just a little 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. But when you’ve gotten an 18-year-old like Rooney, who’s an absolute expertise, typically these gamers are unpredictable. He was very troublesome to mark and management.”
Rooney watched the remainder of the sport, which Portugal gained on penalties, from a hospital mattress, fascinated about what might need been.
Fifteen years later, as his enjoying profession got here to an in depth, his view hadn’t modified. “The type I used to be in, the boldness I had, if I stayed match I imagine we’d have gained,” Rooney advised Gary Neville, his former England and Manchester United team-mate, in an interview on Sky Sports.
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 type for England at a serious event once more.
Instead, there have been badly-timed accidents, a purple 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’d say that was Rooney given freedom,” Heskey replies. “It was off the cuff – you’re simply enjoying. When you’re older you are likely to play inside a technique and the techniques of the staff. But 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 question he grew to become a greater participant – he had a few seasons at Manchester United the place he was the very best participant within the Premier League. But there’s additionally little question it was his finest event and his standout second in an England shirt.
“I feel 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 received older and received extra mature, he would have thought concerning the recreation extra, he would have thought of what a giant recreation means, the expectation stage. But I feel this was a participant who, as you stated earlier than, didn’t give a f*** mainly, and that was a avenue footballer.”
(Photos: Getty Images/Design: Eamonn Dalton)
