The 250 man- Wayne Rooney

Perhaps one of the most famous or infamous names among the fans in the Premier league, Wayne Mark Rooney is an ever-present household name for English football. Be it his goal scoring menaces, the team player attribute or his aggressive approach to the game, he certainly adds a very different dimension to the game. Ever since his debut for Everton, he has taken the premier league by storm. His first notable achievement will be that brilliant winning goal he scored against Arsenal for Everton. From that moment onward, he topped the wish lists of many big clubs in Europe.

In lieu of his tremendous performance at Everton, Sir Alex Ferguson made no delays signing him up for £25.6 million under the nose of other clubs. And he made an instant mark among the United fans in his debut game versus Fenerbahce where he scored a brilliant hat trick. These goals made him the youngest player in the Champions League history to score a hat trick.

 

From here on started a journey of super-stardom, success, controversies and most of all he became one of the major focal points for Manchester United in their glories. For Wayne Rooney the reason was very simple, it was his mad desire to win, that's all. He is a kind of player who loves to take the challenge to the opposition, relishes the tough physical battles with daunting opposition, loves getting bit of wear and tear but in the end of the day what fans really applaud is to see a player giving his all to win the game.

Not only in the Premier league, but also for the England national side, Rooney has been their main stay for almost 12 years now. He had a very good start to his England career netting four times in his debut tournament Euro 2004. Though the tournament ended in a disappointment for England, they found a new attacking talent in their ranks.

After that, Rooney's career was kick started where he became a regular both at the club and national level. He had all the skills and the talents to be the very best, but what sets him apart is his willingness to defend on top of his abilities to create and to score goals. He is the complete player whom every manger dreams of signing. His work rate on the field can be described as the engine of a turbine motor. He will keep on playing but also would keep pumping up his energy more and  more.

As the years progressed, Rooney achieved significant milestones both for his team and also as an individual. With Rooney in the team, United have won the Premier league five times, the UEFA champions league once, FIFA club world cup once, FA community shield four times, the Football league cup twice and the FA cup once. In September 2013, Rooney joined the elite group by scoring his 200th goal for the club.


Perhaps the most spectacular moment for him as a Manchester United player for which he will always be fondly remembered was that tremendous Bi-Cycle kick goal versus their fierce opponent Manchester City and as a result winning the match for United by 2-1.

In 2014 under Louise Van Gaal, Rooney took the arm band and became the club captain. The major trophies for United under his captaincy are the FA cup 2016 and the FA community shield 2016.

On January 21, 2016, Rooney surpassed the legendary Sir Bobby Charlton goals tally of 249 by scoring his 250th club goal against a Barclays Premier league game versus Stoke City. And the 250th goal could not have been more special that an spectacular side angled free kick and thus helping United to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat.

Rooney has now moved into the the twilight of his career at an age of 31 and in the recent times he has faced a lots of criticism due to his lack of goals in the games. But for me it will be very hard to omit someone like him from the game so easily. It seems as if he was born to have the football in his feet and it is such a treat when he performs at the top of his level. He is just unstoppable. And also for the fact that he has got the versatility to adapt his game in so many numerous position, very few players can say that for themselves.

Its is difficult to say if he will finish his career at Manchester United or anywhere, but one thing is for sure that United's 250man will always be an enigma around Old Trafford and he will and always be a true 'Red Devil'.

The unsung heores of the Premier league

The Premier league is blessed with so many stars with the likes of Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Aguero, Sanchez for whom the the managers, pundits and the fans will never stop throwing their praise.

But there are plenty of unsung heroes in the top flight who keep turning on consistent performance week after week but never able to grab much attention on the field. And more or less it is because there names come very rarely in the score sheets.

So who are those unsung heroes we are talking about here? I have picked out few names from the lot who for me do not always get the praise they deserve.

Michael Carrick (Manchester United)

He joined the Manchester United midfield contingent when the favorites were the likes of Scholes and Ryan Giggs. In the initial stages of his Manchester career his role was subdue, but gradually and gradually we can all feel that he has been one of the major focal point in the midfield area. So many good midfielders like Schweinsteiger, Herrera or Pogba are present in United's rank, but any manager would prefer to have a player with the abilities and the experience of Carrick. He can pass the ball, create chance, defend, almost everything which you are expecting from an ideal defensive midfielder.

James Milner(Liverpool)

 Everybody are in awe with the way Liverpool are playing their quick, attacking and fluidic football. Many of their stars like Coutinho, Henderson and Lallana are getting praises for their performance. But what about the veteran who has raised his games to such a standard that he seems to be controlling the game from the fullback position? Milner has been consistent and outstanding for Liverpool this season. He scores, he assists and more than anything else his performance level has never dropped. He might not get the spotlight compared to his teammates but without him it is difficult for Liverpool to maintain their momentum.

Cheikou Kouyate(West Ham)

A brilliant athlete and an industrious midfielder but he never gets the credits he deserves for West Ham. It might be due to the fact that West ham's recent success in the Premier league is down to Dimitri Payet's goals, but Kouyate is as important as anyone in the team.

Harry Arter(Bournemouth)

Another player who is enjoying similar success like Jamie Vardy from non-league football to Stardom. He is the adhesive that holds the midfield together for the team. On the field his energy is extraordinary and often chips in with a goal or two for the team in the crucial moments.

Phil Jones(Manchester United)

2016-17 season is proving to be the best season for the defender in his five and a half years of Manchester United career. Everyone knew how much talented the center back is when he first arrived but more often or not, his season was disrupted with untimely and unfortunate injuries and he would end up missing vital phases of the season. Under Sir Alex, we were able to see a glimpse of his versatility when he would play as a holding midfielder, full back and a center back. Mourinho brought him to the starting line up after both the first choice defenders(Smalling and Bailly) were injured and Jones re-payed his manager's faith in him by showing some stellar performance in the back this season.

Joe Allen(Stoke city)

He has proven to be a masterstroke signing for Stoke City after four seasons of disappointment at Liverpool. I just felt that he was lower in the pecking order for Liverpool and should have got more chances. He had a brilliant Euro 2016 for the Welsh and has continued his brilliant run in the premier league with four goals and two assists. His vision and his ability to create goal scoring chances in very tight situations are as good as any player in the league.