We’re going all out for the perfect 10, says Rooney
STRIKER Wayne Rooney has revealed boss Fabio Capello is demanding a ‘Perfect 10’ from England’s triumphant World Cup qualifying campaign.
Capello’s men have already secured their route to next summer’s World Cup with eight straight wins, but the Italian is looking to finish qualifying with another six points from their remaining two matches.
England make the trip to Ukraine tomorrow before signing off with a home tie against Belarus at Wembley on Wednesday. And Rooney is ready to give the boss his wish, vowing to strive for three points in Kiev tomorrow afternoon.
“The manager has stated he wants to win all 10 games and that is what we are aiming for,” the Manchester United frontman said. “He has made it clear to us these two matches are as important as all the other games we have played. They are the last competitive games we will play before the World Cup. After that there is a friendly against Brazil and then another in March.
“So when you look at it, while it is a long time until the World Cup, there are not too many matches. It is important we take them seriously.”
Rooney has bad memories of the last World Cup finals in 2006 when, as a fiery 20-year-old, he departed Germany with a red card for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho, and a subsequent wink from his United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Now, with added responsibility on the pitch for both club and country and a first child on the way, Rooney is revelling in a new, mature approach to his game and currently leads the European qualification scoring charts with nine goals.
“I am a more mature player now, which is natural,”he explained. “I broke into the England team at 17. Anyone doing that at such an age is going to be passionate. Your emotions are going to be really high. I have more or less forgotten about those tournaments now. I can’t change them, so I don’t look back.
“It does change as you get older. I am still young now and I am still learning. To be the leading goalscorer across the whole of Europe is something I would be very proud of.”