PRESS BOX VIEW - MIRROR

From The Mirror:

‘As Wayne Rooney dazzled and delighted, consigning the Wigan fairy tale to the scrapheap, Fergie's big Carling Cup Final gamble paid off as Paul Jewell's men were swept away.

For Rooney, there could have been no better way of beginning World Cup year than by picking up the first medal of his career, the 20- year-old a joy to watch as he turned the Millennium Stadium into his own personal theatre of dreams.

This was Rooney's day, from the moment he walked on to the Millennium Stadium pitch to the point at which he received the Alan Hardaker Award for man of the match.

In between, unquenchable in spirit, remorseless in determination, devastating in possession, Rooney led Wigan a dance they could never keep pace with, let alone bring to a halt.

His movement was mesmerising, his energy a wonder, his vision a class apart and all too much for a Wigan side who gave everything in spirit and endeavour but simply could not bridge the quality gap.

It was only fitting, too, that Rooney landed the first and the last blows, nervelessly steering home the opener before the break and then capping a spell of three goals in six minutes with an adroit and unanswerable swivel to nudge home.

That is the sort of player he is, why he is the jewel in England's crown and Eriksson's most key component this summer.

Even before then, either side of Wigan keeper Mike Pollitt's enforced departure when his right hamstring pinged as he bent over the make his first touch, Rooney had carried the torch.

The stunning header from Gary Neville's cross that had rebounded back off the angle of post and bar before Pollitt had even moved summed up a player who sensed that this was his stage as United probed and prodded.

Rooney was the outsider of three when Saha rose to nod Edwin Van der Sar's clearance down but in a trice he squeezed the ball between De Zeeuw and Pascal Chimbonda, heard them collide behind him and strolled on to stroke past substitute keeper Jon Filan.’