I wouldn't profess to know him on a personal level. I'd be surprised if you know 1% of what he does when the cameras aren't rolling. The story in the media a month back summed up his entire career for me, Rooney got slated and ripped to shreds, for having a drink after beating Scotland with England, he got drunk and never committed a crime, the media punished him as if he was Fred West. Roberto Firminho got caught drink driving and the same newspaper ran with the headline after he scored in a Liverpool win "The Drinks Are On Me".
Rooney did come across as a daft Scouser in his younger days, but he has definitely matured over the years and his interviews these days look measured and professional.
Definitely, he was a kid when he burst onto the big stage, we've all done stupid things as kids. Have a think back mate, obviously I wasn't alive, was George Best any better as a person than Rooney off the pitch? Would Rooney get away with it today if he had to be woken up by his coach cos he slept in for a match, cos he'd been out shagging and on the piss?
Heaven knows what today's press would have made of George Best.. He was in a different league of daftness to any player in today's era..
Yet it was endearing, cheeky chappy Georgie got away with it, because he delivered more often than not on the pitch, where it mattered. Gazza another one, got away with so much off the pitch until he was finished, then the media vultures just destroyed him, systematically over the years and no doubt when he's dead, they'll do 30 page tributes to how amazing he was. Nothing that he does for good, gets printed now. I just hope Rooney doesn't go down the same path, he's said he wants to do management and I think if he starts in the lower leagues, he could make a good job of that.
I'm comfortable in stating I know 0% of what goes on or what he's like when the camera's are off. I can only judge based on what I see and I just don't like him. I don't really like footballers in general though.
I certainly wouldn't put him on the top '****' shelf of footballers, where you'll find the likes of Barton, Ireland, JT, Ashley Cole, Adam Johnson, Steven Gerrard and Carlos Tevez. I think he's done well for a kid from a council estate, who's every step is put under the microscope. He's no Paul Scholes, but then Paul Scholes didn't have a brand off the pitch, different types of players altogether.
