Wayne Rooney.

I think Wayne Rooney has embarked on that slippery downward spiral, which always seems to affect individuals, who on the surface have everything. He is well paid, plays at the top level for one of the biggest clubs in the world, has a loyal wife and young child, lives in a house that he could only have dreamed of owning whilst growing up in Liverpool as a child. He has a natural footballing ability, which has earned him a regular England place and praise throughout the football world and yet he is on the verge of throwing it all away. We have seen over the years sportsmen with undoubted natural ability like Rooney waste their talent. I have noticed since his move from Everton to Manchester United he appearances have not been as consistent as when he played for the Toffees. His form for England too have been very inconsistent of late, which was highlighted even more during the disappointing England performances during the last World Cup. He seemed to be at odds with everything including the English fans, who he thought had no right to show their disapproval at him or his team mates, even though they thoroughly deserved to be booed off at the time. His comments levelled at the fans at the end of the game did nothing to enhanced his reputation with them, but simply made matters worse, culminating in him issuing a begrudging apology through the appropriate official channels. The fans including myself knew there was something not quite right about Rooney, which was clearly affecting his game? Since then his reputation has been tarnished even further with revelations about him having alleged illicit affairs with prostitutes and paying for their services in hotel rooms. He was also alleged to have paid £200 for a pack of Marlboro cigarettes for one of the prostitutes. This in itself proves he has lost the value of money and he doesn’t need to work as hard with his game as he once did. Not being a fan of Manchester United, mainly because their manager thinks they have a God given right to win every game and referees should not have the audacity to penalise him or his team. Apparently Rooney told Sir Alex that he no longer wanted to stay at Old Trafford last August, his reasons being that he thought United lacked the ambition of winning trophies. Since then the saga has become more public with statements being issued by Rooney, Ferguson and United trying to put their individual cases over. I have got to say Rooney has managed to alienate himself further and has come across as a greedy mercenary along with his agent. I personally think Rooney will never be able to emulate his earlier success irrespective of where he finally ends up. If he stays in the UK, I can only see Chelsea or Manchester City matching his wage demands, with Chelsea being the slight favourites to sign him. He could go to Italy or Spain, but with his wife indicating that she would not consider moving away because she doesn’t wish to leave her sick sister means his already shaky marriage to finally hit the divorce buffers sooner rather than later should he decide to go. I also think he would not settle abroad, because I do not think he would be capable of mastering a foreign language. So, from going from an exciting young talent at Everton to an over paid, ungrateful individual at United, Rooney has managed to destroy all the hard work he has achieved in a very short time. If his long suffering wife decides to call an end to their marriage, which could still be a possibility, then it wouldn’t matter where he went he would never have the same financial independence as he enjoys now. He also has to prove to prospective buyers he is fit enough to match his and his agent’s overpriced valuation. My advice to him would be, think how lucky you are and appreciate what you’ve already got because you won't get another chance.