The great English hope

England's Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring against Denmark during their international friendly match 16 November, 2003 at Old Trafford in Manchester, Great Britain. AFP PHOTO/PAUL BARKER

Wayne Rooney has been hailed as the great new hope of English football since a spectacular ascendence at Premiership club Everton saw the burly teenaged striker muscle his way into Sven-Goran Eriksson's plans for Euro 2004.

Superlatives, comparisons, nicknames and wild praise were all heaped on Rooney after a truly stunning goal gave Everton a 2-1 win over Arsenal in a never to be forgotten match in 2002 that brought a shuddering end to the Londoners' 30 match unbeaten run.

Rooney was just 16-years-old, and it made him an overnight star.

That 25 metre-shot drew breath from an ever hero-hungry public and the subsequent 'Rooneymania' propelled the Liverpudlian into the national squad, where he became the youngest man to ever play or score for England.

Compared to former England legend Paul Gascoigne, nicknamed 'Roonaldo' in reference to the Brazilian star, Rooney's young career began in the humble settings of Croxteth, just 5km from Everton's Goodison Park stadium and legend has it that his bedroom walls were still festooned with Everton posters when he broke in to the first team.

Youngest ever

Wayne Rooney (L-23), the youngest player ever for England, receives consolation from colleague Francis Jeffers at the end of match after Australia beat England 3-1 in a friendly at West Ham's ground in East London 12 february 2003.

Eriksson handed the powerful Rooney his international debut against Australia in February, 2003, several months before his 18th birthday making him the youngest player to appear in an England shirt since Michael Owen in 1998.

"When the gaffer (Everton manager David Moyes) told me I was in the squad I was really happy and asked when the under-21s had to report," Rooney revealed.

There was then a fierce media campaign to include Rooney in the starting line-up to play Turkey in a key qualifier for Euro 2004 and the ginger-haired starlet duly turned in man of the match performance as England ran out 2-0 winners in Sunderland.

England's Wayne Rooney (L) watches his kick into the goal as he leaps over an attempted tackle by Denmark's Per Nielsen during their international friendly match 16 November, 2003 at Old Trafford in Manchester, Great Britain. AFP PHOTO/PAUL BARKER

Macedonia in September, 2003 provided another challenging stage for both Rooney and England with places at the table in Portugal at stake.

The Everton star was to bag his first England goal with an equaliser before David Beckham hit the clincher for a crucial 2-1 win.

The goal made Rooney the youngest player ever to score for England and although expectations are great on the teenager, he has so far showed the temperment to deal with the relentless pressure placed on his sturdy shoulders by the English media and fans.