ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ROONEY

Last updated : 09 October 2006 By Ed

Chocolate:

"He needs games and needs to work through that. That's what he's doing. Nobody's working harder to do that than him.

"You can't just give up. I've seen him work extra in training. He's frustrated.

"Wayne has to show character and resilience now and come through it.

"Everyone knows what a quality player he is. Everybody knows what he can do.

"He does and we do and the next game may be the one where it happens.

"Everyone can see that, but Wayne has got the resilience and the character we have to show as a team.

"He is below his usual performances but he's a great player. Nobody is more frustrated than Wayne Rooney.

"I'm not going to say who is going to play on Wednesday. He needs to work through it and he will start working through it on Monday."

 

No forehead:

"There is no problem with Wayne and I am sure it won't be long before there is another man-of-the-match performance from him and a wonder goal around the corner.

"He has been the best player in training. He has been smiling. I am not worried about Wayne Rooney's form.

"I think it is the same with all the other countries and their best players.

"If they are not man of the match every week, people tend to get on their backs but that's why he is up there with the best players in the world because he can handle this pressure and he'll bounce back from it.

"I won't be surprised if he comes up trumps on Wednesday. Wayne is capable of going over to Zagreb and winning the Croatia game on his own. That's how good he is."

Terry:

"He has been fantastic in training and everyone looks towards the strikers for goals.

"But a player like Wayne can create as well as score his own goals. It works well for him dropping off Crouchy and creating space for the midfield players we have got. If Wayne scores one, I'm sure the rest will follow. We are talking about him as a world class player and he certainly is that.

"He is banging them in in training. He is such a young lad but so much hype surrounds him.

"You only have to look at the work Wayne does on the pitch. His record of goals per games is still very good but he sets such high standards.

"Just having him back in the England set-up, in the hotel and on the training ground, is a big boost for us. It gives us a lift to see him playing for England again."