Wayne Rooney began his second decade as a bona fide superstar exactly as he has spent the previous 10 years - making plenty of headlines, good and bad.
Anyone of voting age will recall the most talented and controversial British footballer of his generation marking his arrival as a 16-year-old with a wonder goal for Everton against Arsenal on October 19, 2002.
Saturday was no less eventful for the former kid from Croxteth who is now a proud father to son Kai and with a second child on the way.
The right end: Wayne Rooney (No 10) cancels out his own goal with a header to draw Manchester United level
MATCH FACTS
Man United: De
Gea, Da Silva, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Valencia (Nani 74), Scholes
(Anderson 70), Carrick, Welbeck (Hernandez 78), Van Persie, Rooney
Goals: Rooney 27, 65, Van Persie 44, Welbeck 46
Booked: Scholes
Subs not used: Lindegaard, Giggs, Powell, Wootton
Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Nzonzi, Whitehead (Palacios 86), Walters (Etherington 70), Adam, Kightly (Owen 74), Crouch
Goal: Rooney og 11, Kightly 58
Booked: Kightly
Subs not used: Sorensen, Jones, Upson, Wilkinson
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Goals: Rooney 27, 65, Van Persie 44, Welbeck 46
Booked: Scholes
Subs not used: Lindegaard, Giggs, Powell, Wootton
Stoke: Begovic, Cameron, Huth, Shawcross, Wilson, Nzonzi, Whitehead (Palacios 86), Walters (Etherington 70), Adam, Kightly (Owen 74), Crouch
Goal: Rooney og 11, Kightly 58
Booked: Kightly
Subs not used: Sorensen, Jones, Upson, Wilkinson
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
For good measure, he then helped set up goals for Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck before adding a fourth himself to keep United right in the title hunt four points behind Chelsea. It also marked the personal milestone of scoring 200 goals in club football.
‘I didn’t know about that until after the game. Obviously I’m delighted,’ said the smiling two-goal hero. ‘But we’ll have to tighten up defensively, better teams will punish us.’
England manager Roy Hodgson might have been left wondering why he did not play like that in Warsaw on Wednesday, but maybe having Van Persie and Antonio Valencia around him, rather than James Milner and Jermain Defoe, makes a difference.
Nonetheless, United boss Ferguson was pleased with his star striker as United fought back again, having conceded the first goal in six of their eight League games so far.
‘It was good to see Wayne get off the mark,’ the manager said. ‘He had the injury and will get better with games. The kind of movement we saw between Wayne and Robin bothers teams. It’s good that they are starting to gel, it was a very fluid move for our equaliser. Robin put in a cross from the left and it was a fantastic header by Wayne.
That's more like it: The familiar feeling of scoring at the right end delighted Wayne Rooney
‘There’s no doubt our attacking play is the best part of the team at the
moment. Our forwards got us out of trouble again because our defending
has been slack. We recovered well from losing the goal early.’
Rio Ferdinand provided the pre-match talking point by warming up in a bright red tracksuit rather than the Kick It Out anti-racism T-shirt that Sir Alex expected all his players to wear.
But once referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle, it was normal service resumed, with all eyes on Rooney.
Rio Ferdinand provided the pre-match talking point by warming up in a bright red tracksuit rather than the Kick It Out anti-racism T-shirt that Sir Alex expected all his players to wear.
But once referee Anthony Taylor blew his whistle, it was normal service resumed, with all eyes on Rooney.
Ground force: Robin van Persie watches his effort find the net for Manchester United against Stoke
His first major contribution after 11 minutes was certainly unexpected.
Charlie Adam’s free-kick was aimed towards former United trainee Ryan
Shawcross but Rooney ensured it did not get there by heading it while
facing his own goal.
Not surprisingly, it flew past hapless Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, who will have to claim those kind of crosses at some stage if Ferguson is not to lose patience.
At that stage, Rooney had scored more Premier League goals for Stoke than United this season, but the odd statistic was not to last long as next week’s birthday boy grabbed his first of the campaign on minute 27, the age he turns on Wednesday.
Not surprisingly, it flew past hapless Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, who will have to claim those kind of crosses at some stage if Ferguson is not to lose patience.
At that stage, Rooney had scored more Premier League goals for Stoke than United this season, but the odd statistic was not to last long as next week’s birthday boy grabbed his first of the campaign on minute 27, the age he turns on Wednesday.
Ouch: Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic collides with Robin van Persie as he attempts to clear the danger
Van Persie was the architect, floating to the left in United’s fluid
system and delivering a pearler of a centre that Rooney had no trouble
nodding in. By doing so, he became the first United player since another
footballer-celebrity, David Beckham, to score for both teams in the
same game.
Until then, Stoke had matched United, with Adam forcing a save from De Gea. But the equaliser shifted the momentum.
Danny Welbeck twice had good opportunities, clipping the top of the crossbar with one strike, before, just before half-time, Rooney found Valencia and the winger’s cross was so good, Van Persie only had to jab out a leg from close range to score.
Until then, Stoke had matched United, with Adam forcing a save from De Gea. But the equaliser shifted the momentum.
Danny Welbeck twice had good opportunities, clipping the top of the crossbar with one strike, before, just before half-time, Rooney found Valencia and the winger’s cross was so good, Van Persie only had to jab out a leg from close range to score.
Oh no: Wayne Rooney wanted the ground to swallow him up after giving Stoke the lead
‘We had one or two opportunities but they have top players,’ said Stoke
manager Tony Pulis, whose side have not won at Old Trafford since 1976.
‘We are usually difficult to play against but they step up a gear when
they need to. They have great players.’
The game appeared over when Rooney’s cross was headed in by Welbeck soon after the restart. Stoke were wobbling and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic then had to make a world-class save to deny Jonny Evans.
But the visitors doggedly fought their way back just before the hour,
Michael Kightly getting a bit of fortune when the ball cannoned off
Ferdinand’s heel for him to finish a strong run by hitting a bobbly
finish past De Gea. They even sent on ex-United player Michael Owen for a
rare outing.The game appeared over when Rooney’s cross was headed in by Welbeck soon after the restart. Stoke were wobbling and goalkeeper Asmir Begovic then had to make a world-class save to deny Jonny Evans.
Low blow: Danny Welbeck hit the deck as he helped himself to a goal at Old Trafford
It was left to Rooney to sort things out. Van Persie’s corner bounced around the penalty area and he finished with ease to end Stoke dreams.
Expect plenty more highs and lows in the next 10 years.
Three and easy: United forwards Wayne Rooney (left), Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck (right) all scored
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