Wayne’s ‘roo-juvenated’

Wayne Rooney’s upturn in form for club and country has been well received by fans and pundits alike, Boakye Kwame writes.

England and Manchester United fans will have been enormously pleased to have seen Wayne Rooney’s exploits during the past few weeks. The striker scored a the brace against Bulgaria last Friday evening, goals that took the Three Lions three points clear in Group G of UEFA European Championship qualifying.

This came days after claiming a hat-trick in the 8-2 thrasing of Arsenal, a win that sent Manchester United top of the Premier League table for the first time this season.

The England striker, who had wanted to quit United last October, began last season’s campaign with a post-World Cup hangover and injury problems. He struggled to find the perfect form he was in before prior to his ankle injury at the tail-end of the 2009/2010 campaign.

After eventually signing a contract extension at Old Trafford, Rooney’s talent once again began to shine through. His swift discovery of form alongside teammate Javier Hernandez in the second-half of last season helped fire Manchester United to their historic nineteenth league title.

Then came the summer of rest for footballers. As most footballers planned their holiday vacation, Rooney was relaxing and busily tending to his improved hairline. The England striker tweeted a picture displaying the results of his hair transplant after spending a whooping £30,000 on the procedure.

Rooney has been revitalised since his hair transplant and demonstrated his new found confidence on Manchester United’s tour of the United States. His all-round gameplay and magnificent finishes made goalkeepers and defenders tremble at his feet.

Impressive pre-season displays were followed up by a strong start to the new Premier League season, scoring in all of United’s opening three matches, including a stunning hat-rick against Arsenal.

When the England squad to face Bulgaria was announced, all that the Three Lions’ fans anticipated was to see Rooney showcase his outstanding form to help propel England to Euro 2012. The England star did not disappoint and his energetic display in Sofia was capped with a brace that saw England move a step closer to qualification.

England faced Wales at Wembley on Tuesday – a ground where Rooney hasn’t found the back of the net in about two years – and all that the fans were looking forward to was to see more Rooney magic to put Fabio Capello’s men on the brink of Euro 2012 qualification.

A subdued team performance meant the striker wasn’t able to impose himself against the Welsh, as he had done so in England’s previous qualifier, but it surely won’t be long before he breaks his Wembley hoodoo.

If Rooney’s new thatch proves to be a good luck charm by the end of the season, you can bet Fernando Torres will never cut his hair again and AVB will make sure Nicolas Anelka parts ways with his razor until he retires.