“I doubt how much Rooney can give to the England team,” France defender Lilian Thuram told the English media in the lead-up to the 2004 European Championship. “He is very young – too young for such a hard competition like this.”
Any remaining doubts that Thuram had over Rooney’s readiness for such a high international stage would have been eradicated 73 minutes into the first match of France’s title defence at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon. The 18-year-old England striker had looked completely at ease throughout, despite sharing a pitch with the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, not to mention the more established members of the Three Lions’ so-called Golden Generation. His touch was immaculate, his passing precise and his physicality domineering.
But with17 minutes to play, he proved unequivocally that he not only belonged at the tournament; he was intent upon owning it.
Chasing a cleared ball near the halfway line, Rooney, with the outside of his right boot, flicked it over Thuram’s head, collected it on the other side of the decorated defender and raced toward the France goal. Entering the penalty area, he effortlessly sidestepped Mikael Silvestre before being hauled down by the Manchester
