Wayne Rooney’s broken foot drowns England’s hopes

Just recently we claimed that Wayne Rooney is pretty likely to become one of the World Cup’s superstars. Being only 20 years of age, he was the great hope of all England’s soccer fans to help the „Three Lions“ to win their first World Cup title in 40 years. This hope has ended last week, when Rooney got hit by a kick of an opponent player in a regular Premier League match. His metatarsus broke twice and it seems nearly impossible that he will return on the pitch in the short time that is left until World Cup 2006 commences.

British newspapers, known for their lurid expressions, commented on this with headlines like „The end of the world“, „England stops breathing“ or „It’s all over now“. His teammates basically agreed to that point of view, stating that the loss of Rooney would reduce England’s chances at the World Cup in Germany enormously. „Without Rooney it is impossible for us to win the title“, English midfielder Steven Gerrard said.

Swedish Sven-Göran Eriksson, head of England’s squad, announced that he wants Rooney to join the team, even if he might be able to play only at a later stage of the World Cup, although he knows that chances aren’t high that Rooney will recover that soon.

Rooney’s club manager Ferguson naturally is of another opinion: He states that he is not going to accept taking the risk that a not fully recovered Rooney might harm himself at the World Cup. But in the end, hot tempered Rooney can’t be stopped from playing for England - even if risks of getting injured again are high.

Rooney himself said, he hit rock bottom and finds this incident „cruel“. He will now start the same treatment that once had helped David Beckham to convalesce from a similar injury in record-breaking time. Part of that treatment includes spending the nights in an oxygen tent. Maybe that might also help Rooney’s brain to amend. Just lately he misinterpreted an sms ending with the time it was sent (5am) as an sms by Sam, which caused him to question his girl-friend jealously, who this person called Sam is.