Wayne Rooney’s ejection for sarcastically applauding a referee was a red card waiting to happen.
The talented but volatile teenager was sent off playing for Manchester United in a 0-0 Champions League tie at Villarreal on Wednesday. It’s the same sort of petulance he showed playing for England in last week’s stunning 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss to Northern Ireland.
In Belfast, Rooney lost his temper after a series of fouls and, when England captain David Beckham and other teammates tried to calm him down, he responded with a stream of expletives.
At Villarreal, Rooney was initially booked for tripping an opponent. As Danish referee Kim Milton Nielsen walked past him, Rooney clapped his hands in the official’s face. Nielsen turned around and showed him the red card, leaving United with 10 men for the last 26 minutes.
Even Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was unable to defend the 19-year-old striker’s behaviour.
”I don’t think Wayne gave himself a chance. I thought it was a harsh booking, but you can’t applaud the referee like that,” he said.
Ferguson now has to consider whether Rooney’s fragile temperament can withstand a high-profile game at Liverpool on Sunday.
”He’s 19 years of age,” Ferguson said. ”He’s a fiery character and competitive. I think maybe when he sees things that are a bit of an injustice against him then he reacts like that.”
Rooney’s latest antics dominated the headlines on Thursday.
”Rooney looney” headlined the Daily Mail. ”Wayniac” cried the Sun. ”Rooney sneers his way to red” said The Guardian.
Teammates of Rooney, who had been in standout form for United until a month ago, are well aware of his quick temper.
”That’s the way he plays. He plays on the edge,” Alan Smith said.
”Sometimes he steps across that line. Unfortunately for us he did.”
Rooney, considered the most talented English player of his generation, made a huge impact in his debut at age 16 when he scored a stunning matchwinning goal for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002.
After scoring four goals for England at Euro 2004, he marked his first appearance for Manchester United and his Champions League debut with a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Turkey’s Fenerbahce last season.
Still a month short of his 20th birthday, Rooney has played 26 times for England, scoring 10 goals. But his yellow card against Northern Ireland last week means he is suspended for the next World Cup qualifying game against Austria on October 8.
Rooney had a strong start to the season for Manchester United.
Playing in a deeper, wider role for Ferguson, Rooney excelled at running at defenders, scoring goals and setting up chances for teammates as well as distributing accurate passes around the field.
When he pulled on an England shirt, however, things started to go wrong.
Although coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says he can play Rooney anywhere in the lineup, the teenager is clearly unhappy that he doesn’t play in the position he wants.
He scored England’s late consolation goal in a 4-1 loss to Denmark on August 18 — the team’s heaviest loss in 25 years. He played as the lone striker in England’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Wales Sept. 3 and looked clearly frustrated as Eriksson tinkered with the lineup in a 4-5-1 formation. His anger then boiled over in the loss to Northern Ireland.
Eriksson was at Villarreal to watch Manchester United on Wednesday. Rooney will miss his next games for club and country in the Champions League and World Cup, and both Ferguson and Eriksson will have to find ways of keeping their prize asset on the field. – Sapa-AP