Fans Comment
Rob Hamilton

The Prodigal Son
1 February 2005

Wayne Rooney: will he even play at Goodison in three weeks' time?

When Manchester United arrive at Goodison Park in three weeks' time, will Wayne Rooney be absent from the squad with a diplomatically tweaked hamstring or a slight groin strain?  He will not relish playing in this particular fixture, at least not while everybody's feelings are still so raw.  His absence on the day is probably what most Evertonians would prefer, and Sir Alex, being one of the more astute managers in the Premiership, would, no doubt, understand those sentiments, although a place in the Quarter Finals is at stake.

I still can't bring myself to watch Rooney playing in red, although I did make an exception for the Liverpool/United game.  Lesser of two evils, I think.  So, does Rooney's first appearance at Goodison in a United shirt really matter?  I think it does.  Football is an emotional experience that causes people (who should know better) to feel and do some very odd things, and watching HIM run around OUR pitch in THAT shirt, so soon after all the chicanery that occurred when he left, may be too much for some supporters — and it gets even worse if you wander into 'What if' territory.

What if…deep into added time at the end of the game, it's 0-0, and suddenly the boy from Croxteth has the opportunity to slot the winning goal into the bottom corner at the Gwladys Street End?  He has a microsecond to think about it.  He's playing in front of his erstwhile Evertonian mates, family, et al.  This is Goodison Park, his spiritual home.  What is he going to do?  He buries it in the back of the net, of course, like any good professional would.  But then what?  Does he run the length of the Paddock to reach the lovable Manc hordes and give them a cheery wave like that other closet Evertonian, Robbie Fowler?  Don't think so.  Even Paul Stretford's brain washing techniques aren't good enough to engender that sort of response.  Yet.

Does he walk back to the centre circle stone-faced, muttering obscenities at all and sundry?  He might try but who would notice the difference in his demeanour anyway?  With the Neville brothers hanging from his neck and Alan Smith about to take a flying leap at him, walking anywhere might be a problem, and when he's eventually buried under a pile of bodies who knows if he's laughing or crying.

What other options does he have?  Does he go towards the United bench to celebrate?  Not if David Moyes has just risen to his feet and marched menacingly into the technical area.  Would you?  What about making for the corner flag at the Gwladys Street End and doing a little dance?  Can't see that happening either.  How do you not celebrate a winning goal when your team mates are going ballistic?  Remember the 3-4 result last season and the reactions of the United team when they ran the length of the family enclosure taunting the fans?  Doesn’t that little cameo say all you need to know about United's goal celebrations on Merseyside?

The word dilemma doesn't begin to describe Rooney's situation — hypothetical, yes, but entirely probable.  Whatever he does, he will be fiercely criticised by fans and media alike.  He will be accused of being a Judas, insensitive, ill mannered, boorish, loutish and, of course, stupid.  It really is the classic no-win situation.

Why does the imminent return of the prodigal son bother me so much?  Remember Rooney's little performance in front of the Kop.  He'd just scored and he was giving them some back.  Have another look at the stills or the video of that celebration.  Look at Rooney's face and, in particular, his eyes.  For one fleeting moment, it is written indelibly across his face.  He is no longer a United player, he's an Everton player again, a blue-nosed Scouser who has just scored at the Kop End against the despised Reds and, boy, is he going to let them know.

It doesn't last long and he's soon back in his snarling, sneering Red Devil mode.  Which raises an entirely different, but equally important, question.  Is he happy at United?  His body language says not.  Should we care?  Possibly.  Depends how you read the labyrinthine clauses in the contract he signed for United.  We are talking millions of pounds gained or lost by Everton if he's shipped out to Real Madrid or Barcelona in the near future.  I hope Bashful Billy is keeping a watchful eye on this particular situation.

I don’t remember any other high-profile player who was such an overtly, self-confessed, passionate blue as Wayne Rooney, and, if the truth be known, despite the United shirt he now wears, probably still is.  'Once a blue, always a blue' applies to us all.  Proper football fans stick with what they have regardless of form or results — United and Chelsea 'fans' being the exception to that rule, of course.  I don't think it's any different for the boy who stuck Everton posters in his bedroom window.  He may play for several clubs in his career, but he's always going to be a blue, one of us.  After all, he's just doing his job.

Rob  Hamilton

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