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Steven Gerrard on Wayne Rooney intensity

Steven Gerrard recalls watching Wayne Rooney at age 17 during England training and immediately knowing the kid was not normal. He describes a player who looked like a man running, fighting, scoring great goals, and doing everything. Gerrard says it was sometimes scary because Rooney seemed more like a boxer than a footballer with red angry eyes as if every match were a championship fight. That pure competitiveness showed up even in the silliest rondos where he wanted to win everything. If you took the ball from him he went harder on the next play to take it back. Playing behind him Gerrard knew a long pass meant Rooney would kill himself to get there. He claims Rooney was the only English player capable of changing a match all by himself. With him on the field there was always an opportunity regardless of the opponent. That fire inside him infected everyone.

3w

Footy News@Footynews

Follow

Steven Gerrard on Wayne Rooney intensity

Steven Gerrard recalls watching Wayne Rooney at age 17 during England training and immediately knowing the kid was not normal. He describes a player who looked like a man running, fighting, scoring great goals, and doing everything. Gerrard says it was sometimes scary because Rooney seemed more like a boxer than a footballer with red angry eyes as if every match were a championship fight. That pure competitiveness showed up even in the silliest rondos where he wanted to win everything. If you took the ball from him he went harder on the next play to take it back. Playing behind him Gerrard knew a long pass meant Rooney would kill himself to get there. He claims Rooney was the only English player capable of changing a match all by himself. With him on the field there was always an opportunity regardless of the opponent. That fire inside him infected everyone.

3w