adminLONDON. — Alan Shearer has pointed to the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson as the reason behind Wayne Rooney’s resurgence, and believes Manchester United’s loss is England’s gain.
The striker has found a new lease of life under David Moyes after falling out of favour under Fergie last season, who accused Rooney of lacking fitness.
However, the man who snubbed Ferguson to join Newcastle back in 1996 believes the Scot leaving Old Trafford could be the best thing to happen to England and Rooney in a crucial World Cup year.
“I said on Match Of The Day at the weekend that I’m always reluctant to praise anyone for hard work alone,” said Shearer.
“As a footballer, that should be the norm. You get lads who work their socks off for a Sunday morning pub team, so why shouldn’t Premier League players do the same?
“But the work rate Rooney put in against Arsenal on Sunday, whether helping out his defence or in midfield or up front, was exceptional. Not only did he work incredibly hard for his team, but he brought the ability with it. Fergie said his fitness was going – well, there has been nothing wrong with his fitness on Sunday, or this season, for United. For whatever reason, they had fallen out. He didn’t like the manager, and the manager didn’t like him. Whether Fergie thought he was playing well, badly or whatever, their relationship had gone. And that was the reason (Rooney was unsettled).
“Credit to David Moyes, but I don’t think it took a genius to work out that Rooney still had ability.
“You would be amazed how much of a huge difference it makes to a player’s confidence, even one with huge ability, when someone puts an arm round him, tells him that he loves him and says he wants him to stay.
“There’s a huge difference between that and the body language which says, ‘I don’t want you, I don’t believe in you any more’.
“Rooney is now playing with a spring in his step again, and up front he is first pick for the World Cup, no doubt about that.”
Meanwhile, Jack Wilshere could only feature in one of England’s friendly games after Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger held talks with Roy Hodgson over the player’s fitness.
The 21-year-old reported to England’s Hertfordshire base on Tuesday and is anxious to cement his international fortunes after being left out of the starting line-up for last month’s victories over Montenegro and Poland, which sealed a World Cup berth in Brazil next summer. Yet Wenger wants England coach Hodgson to protect the midfielder and is hopeful Wilshere will feature in tomorrow’s game with Chile at Wembley rather than Germany next Tuesday.
That would allow the player a full week to recover before league leaders Arsenal are back in action against Southampton on Saturday week. Wilshere has been hampered by ankle injuries since his emergence, including one setback in his right joint which sidelined him for 17 months, and has a specially adapted training and fitness programme. — Metro-The Express.
Online Reporter