Why hooker scandal will be a blessing in disguise if Rooney now puts his football over boozy nights out

By John Cross

Published 23:02 08/09/10

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Wayne Rooney is undoubtedly a more naturally gifted and talented player than, say, his England team-mate James Milner.

James Milner has made the very most of his potential. He has worked hard in training, dedicated himself to succeeding and, as he revealed this week, is also teetotal.

Rooney has reached the top with Manchester United, won trophies and is often described as being world class when he plays for England. He was terrific in both of England's Euro 2012 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Switzerland.

But we also know that Rooney likes a big night out, drinks alcohol and is currently living in the shadow of revelations that he had an affair with a prostitute.

Which begs the question: how good would Rooney be if he was as single-minded about his football as Milner?

The counter argument, of course, is that the natural flair and spark that makes Rooney so good on the pitch is also the reason why he's not happy staying in of an evening with a good coaching manual.

It's the age-old argument about geniuses: they require a different personality in the first place to have the spark which makes them exciting and us love them.

It's Steve Davis versus Alex Higgins. The former was deemed boring, the other a hurricane - but Davis was also consistently successful while Higgins's talent and potential remained largely unfulfilled.

The question is now whether Rooney will finally learn from his latest misdemeanours, whether the embarrassment of being exposed as a love cheat on the front of national newspapers will force him to change his ways.

The stories also exposed Rooney as a player who likes a drink. He likes the party scene and a night out. And while you don't have to be a teetotaler like Milner, it can help. Thierry Henry, for example, never touches a drop.

(And by the way, it's the readers who drive newspapers. They send circulation soaring because they are interested in what footballers do in their private lives, because what they do off the pitch affects them on it. I got hundreds of tweets, e-mails and replies questioning the validity of the Rooney story and yet not one correspondent could see how they were captivated by it themselves)

Then there are those players who arguably had as much natural God-given talent on the football pitch as Rooney but still worked hard to improve their game further. The likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Kevin Keegan. Even David Platt.

They reached heights that Rooney must still aspire to. Keegan was two-time European Player of the Year. Beckham will be remembered as a legend at Manchester United and with England. He also played for AC Milan and Real Madrid.

Platt was a huge success in Italy. Lampard has become one of the best players in the history of the Premier League and one of the most consistent and prolific English midfielders of all time.

The latter is very sociable but is also very disciplined. He has worked harder in training down the years than many managers - both English and foreign - have ever seen, practising his game in every aspect and improving his fitness.

Rooney is 24. His footballing future is still in front of him. He can definitely achieve so much more if he dedicates himself even more to football, the sport which has made him who he is and brought him that fame and fortune.

It's also put him in the limelight and ensured that if he has a heavy night out then everyone knows about it. Do the likes of Iniesta, Xavi and Villa do the same? It's hard to know for certain but you doubt it.

There's no doubt that the foreign managers don't approve of big nights out. When Fabio Capello was asked on Monday whether he was surprised by the intensity of the media coverage, the England boss said: "It's England. It's England. It's the English newspapers. The other countries are not the same."

That's true to a point. There was interest in Patrick Kluivert and Ronaldinho when they were on the party scene at Barcelona. Tremendous interest. Why? Because it was deemed to be endangering their football. Both were moved on shortly afterwards.

Kluivert and Ronaldinho were brilliant talents. But even with them, you get the feeling they could have achieved even more. And again, they had a flair on the pitch which suggests a lively personality off the pitch.

For years, Arsene Wenger was not keen on English players. Maybe it was the disastrous signings of Richard Wright and Francis Jeffers that put him off. Or maybe it was because English players generally like a night out.

It's a short career. A very well paid career. To earn those rewards you should show commitment and determination. A commitment that is matched and demanded by loyal supporters who spend thousands following their club and country.

And maybe this latest furore will teach Rooney that he must ensure that his focus remains on his football as much as ever.

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