The Wayne in Spain…

Even Sir Alex Ferguson found it difficult to argue with Danish referee Kim Milton Neilsen’s decision to send Manchester United star Wayne Rooney off in the Champions’ League clash at Spanish club Villarreal on Wednesday evening.

There’s no doubt that Rooney’s contemptuous applause when the ref showed him a yellow card left Neilsen with little alternative, and in the light of his most recent appearance against Northern Ireland, when he was fortunate to escape dismissal, his latest tantrum has prompted a storm of publicity and speculation – some of it bizarre.

At times like this, we need to remind ourselves that Wayne Rooney is a gifted footballer whose game has progressed massively since he joined Manchester United. Physically, technically and tactically – but alas not temperamentally – it’s hard to believe that he’s still in his teens. Unfortunately, his pace, his power and his sublime skills can only be exercised if he remains on the field of play – and all too often his passion and competitive instincts lead him to behave like someone who looks and acts as if he would be more at home in a fairground boxing booth than in a stadium in front of thousands of adoring fans.

When that happens, he is inclined to self-destruct and the inevitable sanction too often deprives his team of his services and the fans of all that they might hope to see of his rare talents.

That is tragic. But what is more than tragic – almost criminal – is the deplorable nature of much of the reaction. At its most extreme, there are media claims that “looney Rooney” is becoming “uncontrollable” and prescriptions (presumably from unqualified ‘practitioners’) ranging from psychiatric help to anger management. And even within the game itself, there is a disturbing tendency for professionals to fall back upon the same tired old clichés – Wayne is an aggressive player who lives ‘on the edge’; take that away and you’ll destroy him...

Perhaps it would be less misleading to suggest that more of any of the above will probably destroy him, far quicker than he might destroy himself. The truth is that at 19 Wayne Rooney has already become a fantastic footballer, but his game has matured far quicker than he has – a fact that he almost certainly recognises himself, whether he admits as much publicly or not. What he needs most right now is a massive vote of confidence in his ability to learn to play his inspired game with passion and commitment, but also with control.