England striker Wayne Rooney said on Monday the ill-tempered behaviour that has landed him in trouble will be long gone by the time he arrives in Germany for next year’s Word Cup finals.
Rooney, whose brilliance is often tinged with disciplinary problems, is expected to become a target for opposition defences when England embark on yet another hopeful World Cup campaign.
However, the Manchester United striker, still a teenager, warned defenders they will be wasting their time trying to wind him up.
In the past month, Rooney has been sent off for United after sarcastically clapping referee Kim Milton Nielsen and was banned for England’s qualifier against Austria with his second booking of the campaign in Belfast.
Combined with an angry outburst at David Beckham, who urged him to calm down in Northern Ireland, the 19-year-old’s volatility has become a cause for concern, given his importance to his country.
However, he insists he will pass the next test of his notoriously fragile temperament, with Nielsen set to referee Wednesday’s tie against Poland, and will also not let his teammates down next summer.
Asked if he could cope with being a marked man at the World Cup, Rooney declared: ”Yes. Obviously in the past, sometimes my temperament has let me down a couple of times, but I’m a young lad and I’m going to learn from that.
”I don’t think there will be many problems in the future. I go into each game and want to win. I’m 110% committed.
”Sometimes when it hasn’t gone right, my temperament has let me down a bit, but I’m trying to put that right and I want to get better.”
Asked if he believes teams will try to wind him up to provoke a response, he admitted: ”Yes, probably, but I’m an experienced player now and I want to prove that.”
But would it actually be a benefit if he was targeted, allowing the likes of David Beckham, Frank Lampard and Michael Owen more space in which to inflict damage on the opposition?
”Maybe, yes. We’ve got some great players in the team and if they have too much time and space, then they’ll punish teams,” he agreed.
As for his encounter with Nielsen on Wednesday, he insisted: ”I think he’s a good referee. He’s been refereeing for years and has done a good job, so there’s no problem there.”
Being sent off at Old Trafford would, after all, rule him out of the start of the World Cup finals.
”I don’t think there’s any chance of that. I think we’ll concentrate on winning the game and that’s it,” he stressed.
”It’s not nice missing any game, so I’m determined to win and get a few goals,” declared the striker, who made such an impact at Euro 2004 before getting injured against Portugal in the quarterfinals.
Rooney, who turns 20 in a fortnight, believes his game has developed since the Euro 2004 finals, having gained nine more caps and Champions League experience.
”I think I’ve improved a lot. Signing for Manchester United has made me a better player, I’ve got a lot more experience at international level now, so I want to go there and try to win the World Cup for England,” he said.
”I can’t wait for next summer. I’m excited and it’s a massive tournament for anyone and my first World Cup. I’m confident we can go and win it.
”Brazil are the team to beat in my eyes and, if we do manage to beat them, we’ve got a great chance. There’s great expectations to go there and improve on Euro 2004, go further and hopefully bring the trophy back home.” — Sapa-AFP