Peter Henry
Legendary Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler reckons Wayne Rooney could have hit even higher heights during his career had he been a bit more selfish.
A 16-year-old Rooney burst onto the Premier League scene with his boyhood team Everton when he scored a worldie against Arsenal.
The Croxteth born attacker then announced himself to the World by putting in some barnstorming performances for England at Euro 2004, which saw him become one of the hottest properties in Football and earned himself a big money move to Manchester United.
However, despite going on to score over 200 Premier League goals and becoming both England and Man United’s all-time leading goal scorer, there are still many who believe Rooney never quite fulfilled the promise of his youth.
Tyler, who was in a unique position to watch Rooney’s career evolve, reckons the 32-year-old maybe tried to do too much on the pitch instead of concentrating on becoming the best he could be as a striker.
“I think it’s the volume of them (goals) really (that stands out),” Tyler told Sky Sports News.
“His hunger to do it for the team.
“He has scored a lot of goals, obviously the record at Manchester United and England.
“But what I would say is he has never put himself before the team and he has still got this number of goals.
“If there’s a failing that he has had over the years I think it has been that he’s maybe tried to do too much.
“As he’s got older he wants to run the whole game rather than maybe play the position he has been given by the manager.
“But I mean that as a compliment really, not as a negative.”
Rooney is set to feature in England’s friendly against the USA tonight as a farewell gesture for his service to the Three Lions over the years.