Wayne Rooney Burnt Out Or Will He Return To His Best?

On Monday night two of the biggest clubs in England confront each other. Manchester United welcome Arsenal at Old Trafford in a key Premier League fixture that promises to be as entertaining as it is significant when it comes to the title race.

Wayne Rooney is expected to start against the Gunners and given that he is gradually recovering his form and gaining confidence, the England international will spearhead United's attack. Last season the 25-year-old scored 34 goals in all competitions for the Red Devils but so far this campaign he has mustered just two - both penalties. However, his performances against Valencia, Blackburn Rovers and Rangers have inspired confidence and many believe that he will return to his best before long.

But will he? Rooney may have had a terrific campaign in 2009-10 but he also suffered an injury in March. Then there was his World Cup failure for England and earlier this season his private life hit the headlines.

In October Rooney revealed that he wanted to leave the former English and European champions and got into trouble, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson claiming that he was not as seriously injured as he was reported to be. Yet Rooney soon signed a long-term contract.

However, Rooney seems to be on the path to recovery and is starting to look good again. On this occasion, journalists and editors from various editions of Goal.com have their say on whether they believe that Wazza can truly become the great player everyone expects him to be.

"First of all I think that Rooney is a great player but a very difficult character. It seems that he can never play outside of England, for Real Madrid for instance. After the World Cup, his affairs and his new contract all put him out of his senses. He looks unhappy, and we can never say for sure whether he is unhappy because he is playing badly, or because he is in love with the supermarket girl. Nevertheless, Rooney is a great player and he will be back to his best whether in Manchester United colours or for his old club Everton. We need players like him in football."

Ivar Matusevich, Goal.com Spain

"Wayne Rooney is unquestionably a world class footballer and has been since he first came to Manchester United. That was six seasons ago. Before that he was a key part of the Everton side and was justifiably regarded as one of the outstanding prospects in the game.

"Rooney exploded onto the scene. He did not gradually become one of the best English players around, he announced himself as one at the age of 16. And he's played around 400 matches since then. It is nearly impossible for a player, certainly an attacker, to remain on top of the world for a decade.

"Usually, the very best attackers have a five/ six year spell as the best in their position and then begin to fade naturally. For some, like Zidane or Rivaldo, this comes at the mid-point of their career graph. For others, like Adriano and Michael Owen, it comes at the beginning. I think Rooney is in the latter category."

Peter Staunton, Goal.com International

"You cannot unlearn how to play football in such a short period and Wayne Ronney can still be one of the best strikers in the world. He has been in bad form for the last couple of months. At United, it is easy to designate the problem. There was a mental thing (the saga with Sir Alex Ferguson). After this you can start talking about his form, but this basically comes from the mental point of view.

"Interesting too is the comparison with Ajax's Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez, who cannot outplay his granny anymore after the World Cup. Those guys want the best of themselves but cannot bring it because of a long, long season and then get frustrated, which is bad for their form. Finally it blows their self-confidence. Rooney needs time. But he will be back."

Wout Stravers, Goal.com Netherlands


"I feel that Wayne Rooney's bad form was down to a combination of factors. His relationship with Sir Alex worsened amidst on-off contract talks which led to him being dropped and sulking on the bench. His niggling ankle injuries, failure to perform at the World Cup and his tumultuous personal life have all played their part.

"The booze, the hookers and the hype all caught up with him and it was certainly felt by many around him that he needed to hit the reset switch on his life. Get back in shape, keep a low profile for a few weeks and just focus on his game. He has come back into the team and has played well at times, and looked a little off the pace at other moments.

"Manchester United usually step up a gear after Christmas so perhaps the Rooney of last season will return then. He is a great player and one of the most outstanding talents produced in the country in recent years. For this reason he will always benefit from a dose of good will from fleet street's football writers. There is no reason why he cannot recapture his top form - but he has to learn the lessons of 2010 or he'll end up being another tragic, wasted talent like Gazza."

Amar Singh, Goal.com UK

Wayne Rooney Last season he scored 34 goals in all competitions.... This season he has scored just two....

"Wayne Rooney certainly hasn't become a bad player in the space of nine months, the publicised events unquestionably have taken their toll. I think he is in a position that perhaps other footballers who suffered 'burnout' early in their careers cannot be afforded, in that he has the ability to refine and adapt his game as the years pass.

"Owen and Adriano were about pace and power respectively, and once that was lost, a critical element of their characteristics as a footballer diminished. Rooney, however, proved last season that he has that automatic thought process to be in the right position to score - he was, in effect, a penalty box striker akin to what Ruud van Nistelrooy did so well for Ferguson.

"If he so wishes, he could cease dropping off the play to help create, and instead become a bona-fide, single-minded goalscorer, both for club and country."