Sven: My Story by Eriksson Sven-Göran

Author:Eriksson, Sven-Göran [Eriksson, Sven-Göran]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2013-11-05T00:00:00+00:00

One of the players I used in the second half against Australia was a 17-year-old boy named Wayne Rooney. He was 17 years and 111 days old, to be exact, which means he became the youngest England player ever. Tord and I had been to see Rooney when he played for Everton, and been impressed with the incredible intensity he had shown. He was exactly the kind of forward we needed in 2003. Andy Cole had never done it in the national team during my time. Heskey was up and down. Jermaine Defoe was not ready. Michael Owen was our only truly top-class forward.

I had a hard time understanding Rooney’s Liverpool accent, at least in the beginning, so I had to talk to his agent, Paul Stretford, instead. Stretford naturally pushed for his client to be included in the national team. Everton’s manager, David Moyes, was not as convinced. There was no discussion about Rooney’s footballing abilities, despite his tender age. He was both a physical and intelligent player, a creator as well as a finisher. He did not have an ounce of fear in him. Apparently, he had been a boxer, like his dad, but had to give up on that career after being knocked out one too many times. Moyes was worried that Rooney would not be able to control his hot temper and that he was not ready socially. I had many long discussions with Moyes about Rooney.

But Rooney was ready. After his debut against Australia, a game in which he was the only England player who performed admirably, I decided to select him for the important qualifying game at home against Turkey on 2 April 2003. Rooney fitted into the group immediately. In training he was just as tough as Gerrard and Scholes, who were like machines in practice. The day before the game I told Rooney he would be starting against Turkey.

‘Okay,’ he said, as if he had been expecting it.

Turkey had finished third in the 2002 World Cup and were our toughest opponents in the qualifying group. The Turkey game was very important. After the opening win against Slovakia away we had managed just a draw at home against Macedonia after a blunder by David Seaman. That was Seaman’s last game as England keeper. I brought in David James in his place.

We could not afford to lose any more points at home. Before the game, some of the players had come under criticism in certain sections of the media for lacking passion, which irritated David Beckham especially. We would not be lacking passion against Turkey. David was even cautioned for talking to the referee. We played brilliantly and won convincingly 2–0. Man of the match was 17-year-old Wayne Rooney. Would I have played him against Turkey if I had not seen him play against Australia first? Probably not.

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