His considerable gifts were based on the all consuming strength, but never did he have the ability to control and decide a game like Rooney, and unlike Wayne never was he touted amongst the words very finest by the likes of Messi and Kaka.
What then of Super Frank? The Englishmen has maintained has shown a relentless ability to score a significant amount of goals every season, as scoring midfielders go he has no rival. Like Drogba he has come up with the goods when needed most and his now the clubs highest goalscorer. Trophies have continued to flow with the strikes and his performances this season have led to the previously unprecedented offering of a new contract at Chelsea after being shown the door in December.
However, he too suffers from never being blessed with the ability of Rooney. He has struggled for the entirety of his career to shake off the mantle of being overrated. Those jibes have been crude and often unintelligent.
However, they are borne out of the fact that Lampard, despite his goals has rarely captured the imagination with his ability. In the past ten years there has rarely been a time when he could be considered a better player than Rooney (and despite what you say, his second place in the Ballon D’Or was a anomaly rather than a true reflection of his standing) and nor have his best performances ever touched the ones exhibited by Shrek at his best.
So we come to the man himself. Where to start? Is it the fact he came into United as precocious teenager and as the most hyped Englishmen since Gazza and prospered almost instantly (champions league hatrick against Fernabache anyone?)? Is it the ability to score goals in big games (think back to the first Manchester derby last season or that overhead kick) but at the same time sacrifice himself by applying himself with discipline and energy (how about marking Maicon out of the game against Inter in 2009)?
For nearly of all of the last decade Rooney has been considered indispensable by United. Even when he was perceived to be in Ronaldo’s shadow, people forget it was his devastating partnership with the Portuguese and his willingness to do the dirty work that allowed United to prosper.
As a player Rooney has blended a rare collection of gifts seen in an Englishmen. A player with the physicality and pace to trouble central defenders, but with a penchant for raking cross-field passes, killer finishing and higher level of football intelligence. Even when people castigated him for being some way off his best last season he contributed 16 goals and 16 assists.
The last decade has seen trophy after trophy and it is Rooney with his snarling winning mentality that has been Fergie chief lieutenant and enforcer. The difference of opinion of between the two will go down in United folklore but Fergie will privately acknowledge in Rooney he found a player with the same unquenchable thirst to succeed.
No other player has been so good for so long and contributed so much to winning silverware in the preceding ten years. Some have claimed he is past it and burnt out, time will tell however the fact a club like United who pride themselves in never being held ransom by any player ; have done all that is possible to persuade him to stay is testament to the indelible mark he is left on the club and the league.
NB- My contenders in this article have not included any defenders (Terry and Rio and Cole spring to mind). This is not to denigrate their colossal achievements for club or to demean the art of defending, but rather to accept the fact attacking players with their ability will take precedence in such a debate.
Thierry Henry was not included in this debate as the his greatest years in the premiership were split before and after 2003. Despite being a contender for the league finest ever player and peaking breathtakingly in 2004 there is no way he can be a contender a for this debate particularly as Arsenal have not won a trophy since 2005 and he departed for Barcelona in 2007.
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I wish you knew how many people clicked to pg two, not a spoon half.