NOT BAD FOR A FAT KID

England are now in the faintly contradictory position where they must rely on the unpredictable. As much as he is likely to dismantle a team, Wayne Rooney is also capable of self-destruction, yet it is that very inconsistency that has made him indispensable to Sven-Göran Eriksson. Amid an extraordinary array of tributes, the forward has been compared to Pelé, Ronaldo, Diego Maradona, Paul Gascoigne and Michel Platini.

With his spellbinding vision against Poland, Rooney supplied moments of joy and exhilaration, yet relief was probably the dominant emotion that swept around Old Trafford on Wednesday night. After four muted performances in succession, the proximity of the World Cup finals again felt like a cause for anticipation; largely responsible was the teenager with TNT coursing through his veins.

While Michael Owen’s bold claim that England’s strength in depth may be matched only by Brazil has prompted debate, Rooney’s talent spans the cultural divide between the two squads. “One of Pelé’s great qualities was that he could take any situation in his stride,” Zico, the Brazil legend, said, “and from the little I have seen of Wayne, I think he can do that, too.”

Glenn Hoddle, the former England head coach, yesterday remarked on the match-winning, event-shaping similarities between Rooney, Maradona and Platini, while Andy Roxburgh, the Uefa technical director, was “reminded” of Ronaldo.

Trevor Brooking, the FA’s director of football development, recalled Paul Gascoigne in his prime. “He could play in three or even four World Cups and he seems to thrive in big tournaments,” Brooking said.

When his team-mates grant him possession, a fuse is lit. “He is a midfielder’s dream,” Frank Lampard said. “You can give him any sort of ball and he will bring it down, turn and make things happen. You can’t buy that. He is a one-off in that way. He is one of the best in the world at doing that. Opponents are aware of what he can do, but with his ability and instinct, they can’t dive in on him. It’s a good thing if teams are scared of him.”

Aside from his knife-edge temperament, the only blot for a young man who has already amassed 27 caps is his recent scoring record. “I haven’t scored a competitive goal since Euro 2004, so I hope I’m storing them up for next summer,” Rooney, who has mustered one strike — in the pitiful friendly against Denmark — in his past 11 appearances, said. “It is a massive tournament and I want go there and score some goals.”