HE is England's greatest goal-scorer, he has won the Champions League, he has been part of five Premier League titles triumphs, three League Cups wins and even the Club World Cup glory.
 |
| Wayne Rooney has four goals for Louis van Gaal's Man Utd in the league & Champions League this term |
He is now 30 but Wayne Rooney is still to see his childhood dream come true and lift the FA Cup at Wembley.
It was in 1995 that a schoolboy Rooney was in the crowd to watch his beloved Everton beat, ironically, United 1-0 in the FA Cup; ever since he has hoped that one day he will be out on that pitch celebrating.
Even with his all his personal success, that moment has never arrived. A cycle which resumes this Saturday evening at Old Trafford as United meet League One Sheffield United in a third round tie, the first of those five steps the final.
United have not won the Cup since they beat Millwall 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in 2004.
But could this be his year? His manager Louis Van Gaal will do everything to make that dream happen.
As Van Gaal said: "It is hard to believe that long-serving players like Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick, who have won almost every honour in the game, still haven't managed to win an FA Cup winners' medal.
"I am fully aware of the history and traditions of the FA Cup and that it is a competition this club have not won since 2004. I always say as a manager, all you can hope for is a home tie in cup draws.
"We look forward to the challenge and hope for a long run to make a real impression."
By the time he joined United from Everton, he had already experienced two years of disappointment in the competition and is now in his 12th season at Old Trafford - and 14th year as a senior professional.
It has been one long tale of misery for Rooney ever since his first appearance in the competition back in 2003 ended with the Toffees suffering a giant-killing defeat in a third round tie at Shrewsbury, courtesy of Nigel Jemson's 89th minute winner.
The closest Rooney has come was reaching the final twice, with United losing on penalties to Arsenal in 2005 in Cardiff and to a Didier Drogba extra-time goal for Chelsea in 2007 in the first final at the new Wembley. On three other occasions Rooney has not played when United went out.
One of the biggest frustrations was the controversial quarter-final home defeat to eventual winners Portsmouth in 2008. Had they got through, United - who went to win a Champions League and Premier League double - would have been overwhelming favourites to win the competition considering the other semi-finalists that season were three Championship teams, Cardiff, Barnsley and West Brom.
Now Van Gaal hopes to put that right at a time when United have told Juventus and Roma to forget about signing Marounae Fellaini on loan in the January transfer window.
Both the Serie A clubs want to take the Belgium international on a temporary basis to the end of the season but with United short on goals , Van Gaal does not want to weaken his attacking options unless he can bring in quality replacements.
And United sources have played down suggestions they could sign Lazio's Felipe Anderson or Real Madrid's Gareth Bale this month.
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus