British press pays tribute to Wayne-derful victory
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-23 06:47

An ecstatic British press delighted Tuesday in the heroics of wonderkid Wayne Rooney after the 18-year-old's two goals assured England a 4-2 win over Croatia and a place in the quarter-finals of the European Championship.

"Watching Rooney bewitch Euro 2004 once again last night, it was difficult to leave this majestic stadium without anything but the sensation that world's second most important football tournament is witnessing one of the great stories in the making," said the Guardian.

"Rooney's emergence has surpassed even the most delirious expectations," it said of a teenager who has now scored more goals in the tournament than anybody else.

The Times called Rooney a "teenage prodigy," "the international discovery of Euro 2004," and said his startling performance had saved England from the ignominy of defeat to Croatia and an early exit from the championship.

"He is aged 18 and a person inspired, untouchable, and apparently unbeatable," said the newspaper's chief sports writer, Simon Barnes.

"One of the great things about Rooney is that he doesn't really look like a footballer," he said. "He looks as if he had climbed down from among the boozy, flag-waving, chanting thousands and joined the players for a bet.

"He has skill and power and strength. But perhaps the most striking thing about him is what he lacks: fear. He beats players with golden reputations as if they were playground kids."

For Britain's pun-crazed popular press, the only dilemma was where to fit in the "roo" for Rooney in their headlines.

The Daily Mirror said "Heroo!," the Sun "We're throo," while the Daily Express went with: "Wayne making it EU-Roo 2004."

Thankfully, faced with such stiff competition, the Daily Mail gave up and went simply with "Boy King."

Inside, though, the tabloids were all in agreement - in Rooney, England have found something special and bring on Portugal in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

"England did not so much knock on the door to the quarter-finals of the European Championship last night as hammer it down with Wayne Rooney once more showing that everything he touches turns to gold," said the Daily Express.

The Daily Mail called it a "composed, confident performance" and claimed that Rooney's price tag had now gone up to 60 million pounds (90 million euros, US$110 million).

Whatever temptations are delivered the way of Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, England's sports writers would give anything for the striking sensation to fire another two goals home on Thursday.

Rooney's price

Everton manager David Moyes says he would consider letting Rooney leave the premier league club - for 50 million pounds (US$91.91 million).

"I think if someone came in with 50 million (pounds), everybody in the country would be saying that we'd be right to take it because that's a big offer," Moyes told the club's official website.

"One of the things I said when I came to this club is that I don't want to sell my best players..... but I'd be lying if I said that there wasn't a price on everybody's head. There is.

"I can only say that I have got no intentions of selling Wayne just now unless I get told by the board that we have to or unless Wayne tells me that he doesn't want to play for Everton any more."

Moyes dismissed speculation in the British media that Rooney was on his way out of Everton, adding that the club had not received any offers for him.

"It seems that everyone wants to talk about," he said. "It's as though there is nothing else to talk about apart from Wayne Rooney."