The Big Interview Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex and Moyes taught Wayne all about Scots rivalry

Wayne Rooney’s 100 England games have taken him to every corner of the world. He’s played in the greatest stadiums, in front of the most passionate and hostile crowds. But ask him about starting his second century of caps at Celtic Park and he finds it difficult to keep a lid on his enthusiasm.

“I can’t wait,” he says. “I’ve been looking forward to it since the fixture was made. There’s no chance I was ever going to be rested for the Scotland game. It was always 100% I’d be there.

“I think it will be a great game, and I’m glad it’s at Celtic Park because it will be even more special there. I’ve played there a few times now and it’s an unbelievable place. I went up to watch a couple of Celtic games when Alan Stubbs and Roy Keane were there. I was in the crowd and the atmosphere was great. But I remember my first time with United against Celtic in the Champions League. When you’re down on the pitch, it’s something different again.

“I might need to speak to some of the younger lads and say: ‘Listen, this is going to be hostile. Make sure you blank it out, relax and play your normal game. Don’t get involved in it.’

“The Scottish club game has suffered since Rangers went down the leagues, and they’ve missed out on the Old Firm matches. So I’m sure that having England there will make the atmosphere incredible.

“People say the fixture means more to the Scots than the English. Well, I can only speak on my own behalf this is massive and we’re going there to win.”

To date Rooney’s only experience of the Auld Enemy fixture was the previous meeting at Wembley in August last year, when he was substituted by Rickie Lambert, who scored the winning goal three minutes later.

Much of his empathy for the Auld Enemy fixture stems from his upbringing at Everton and Manchester United.

“Don’t forget I grew up with David Moyes and Alex Ferguson as my managers,” he grins. “So I know about England-Scotland games. I had a lot of banter with Sir Alex when England and Scotland were trying to qualify for tournaments. I always came out on top with those!

“Then there’s my vice-captain at United, Darren Fletcher. Darren and I have had some interesting chats over the last few weeks! We are close friends, and we have booked a box together at Celtic Park for his family and mine.

“This won’t be a friendly. Some games do have a friendly feeling to them. But one of the most competitive games I’ve played for England was against Argentina in Switzerland in 2005. That didn’t feel like a friendly and neither will this.

“Scotland are doing well. They have found form under Gordon Strachan. We know it’ll be a tough game. We have to make sure we don’t get drawn into a battle. We have to make sure we play our football and try to outplay them, rather than out-fight them.”

Rooney became the ninth player to reach a century of England caps yesterday, scoring his 44th international goal in the process in the 3-1 victory over Slovenia, and he has no intention of voluntarily walking away from the England scene. And if he ever did, his wife Coleen would soon put him straight!

“A lot of the players I’ve played with other the last 10 years Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand have retired from internationals,” he says. I spoke to my wife about it, saying that when you get to a certain age, you almost feel like you have to do it to extend your club career.

“But she was the one who said to me: ‘It’s a short career. You have got plenty of time to be with us as a family when you finish playing and you will regret it if you do.’

“Football is what I love doing. I love playing for my country. I would regret it. I don’t think I ever would walk away. You are retired a long time. I wouldn’t want to cut my career short for the sake of having a few extra days off.

“I’ll play for as long as I’m selected and hopefully that’s for many more years to come.”

It’s been suggested that, having come into the game so early, premature burn-out is a real danger particularly as he doesn’t have the body shape or metabolism of, say, a Ryan Giggs.

Rooney, however, is quick to shoot down such concerns.

“When I first came into the professional game, a lot of people said that my body shape wouldn’t allow me to play for that long,” he says. “But in many ways I feel it has helped me. Because I’m quite strong in my body, I haven’t picked up the muscle injuries which are difficult to come back from at a certain age and be the same player.

“Almost all my injuries have been impact injuries. I don’t think I’m a natural athlete when you look at some players’ physiques. I am not built that way. But in terms of miles covered in training and on the pitch, I’m always at the top, so it doesn’t matter what you look like physically.

“The next few years will be vital in terms of how I look after myself. That will determine how long I play on. It might be tough to make the Euros in 2020 but I hope I can. I want to be playing at the next World Cup, that’s for sure.

“I’ve always believed I have the quality to play different roles midfield, for instance. That will really help me to extend my career, to be in more control of a game rather than being an impact player.”

For now, however, Wayne’s World is all about facing Scotland on Tuesday night.