Season 2002-03

Wayne Rooney: The secret is well and truly out

Wayne Rooney has been in the national headlines ever since that electric moment back in October when he audaciously curled an injury-time winner past David Seaman and brought an end to Arsenal's long unbeaten run.

At that moment, the country got their first look at Everton's best-kept secret and it led to a BBC Young Personality of the Year award, but just seven starts for the Blues and a spell on the sidelines through suspension has kept the Goodison wonder kid on the fringes of the national consciousness.

A scintillating first full cap for England this evening has certainly changed that. The Rooney secret was laid bare by a performance that while raw and naiive at times put the 17 year-old head and shoulders above his elder peers and garnered him a deserved man-of-the-match award.

While "Golden Balls" Michael Owen had to be withdrawn midway through the second half through injury — to be replaced not by Emil Heskey but Darius Vassal — having made little impact on the Turkey defence, Rooney was exhibiting his array of skills and came close to opening his international account as early as the 12th mintute but his shot was deflected wide.

Of course, the worrying thing for David Moyes and Everton is that on the back of today's performance at the Stadium of Light, some will claim that the real question should now be "who should partner Rooney," not a question of who should play alongside Owen.

If Moyes's task of keeping the youngster under his wing wasn't difficult enough before, it will be immeasurably more difficult now. It's hard to imagine how Rooney won't be involved in the senior England setup on a permanent basis, which is fantastic for his development and experience, but not so great for his manager who fears burnout for the prodigy from Croxteth.

And greedy eyes sizing up young Wayne's value will be of increasing concern for the Goodison faithful. That will increase the pressure on the club as a whole to maintain the forward momentum that has propelled the Blues to the brink of Europe. Certainly the apparent evaporation of the long-term dream of a new stadium at the Kings Dock will be seen by many as a set-back for the kind of future Everton need to provide if they are to keep their two jewels — namely, Master Rooney and Moyes the Messiah.

by Lyndon Lloyd