Rooney named Euro 'Golden Boy'

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has won the 'Golden Boy' prize for the best young player in Europe.

The England forward received the prize from Italian newspaper Tuttosport after topping a journalists' poll to find the outstanding footballer under 21.

Rooney finished ahead of team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Arjen Robben and Obafemi Martins.

"As far as I am aware, this is the first international trophy I have won," said a delighted Rooney.

Ajax forward Rafael van der Vaart was last year's winner of an award Tuttosport hope will become regarded as the young player's equivalent of the European Footballer of the Year.

Win a Wayne Rooney Signed Print

Here's your chance to win a limited edition signed Wayne Rooney print.

UK disabled children's charity the ACE Centre are currently holding a fantastic on-line football auction featuring a fantastic line up of autographed football items that would make dream Christmas presents whilst also helping to raise vital funds.

Please take time out to visit the auction page here - and make a bid for anything you like the look of, maybe for Christmas gift?

ACE is currently raising money for a computer games project, that will enable children with disabilities to play many of the same games as their able bodied peers.

The auction includes signed shirts and pictures from the likes of Wayne Rooney, Pele, Ronaldo, Alan Shearer, Henrik Larsson, David Beckham, Michael Owen, a classic signed 1966 England item and many more - all in support of ACE's important work.

To promote this fantastic series of footy auctions, this stunning limited edition signed Wayne Rooney print (one of only 500 commissioned which is official Rooney merchandise) has been donated, along with 10 runners up prizes donated by ACE Centre corporate supporters Spiritofsport.co.uk of £10 gift vouchers to spend on prized sporting memorabilia.

All you have to do is answer the following question and e-mail your name and answer to competitions@ace-centre.org.uk

• The xmas charity auctions are entitled "Rags 2" what?
  
  Clue: it can be seen at the top of the auction page

The competition is open to entrants worldwide, and all entries must be received by midnight on December 8, 2004.

Ferguson vows to protect Rooney

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has vowed to calm down Wayne Rooney - but without diluting his competitive edge.

Rooney was substituted in the first half of England's friendly with Spain after a host of strong tackles.

But Ferguson said: "Players want to kick him and at 19 he'll react to that. In two or three years he won't because he'll let his feet do the talking.

"We'll settle him down, don't worry. But Wayne won't be bullied by anyone."

He added: "As Wayne spends more time with us he will develop the way we want. He will learn how to handle things.

"Look at players like Pele and the other greats. They could look after themselves because they knew they were in a competitive game."

Ferguson also insisted that his Old Trafford striker is under huge pressure to deliver every time he plays for England.

"Wayne is a 19-year-old thrust into the focus of the England team as saviour and salvation," said Ferguson.

"The Spanish recognised that and very time he went into a challenge they surrounded him and the referee. It was obvious they wanted him out the road, they knew fine well he was the main danger to them."

Ferguson added: "England wanted him too quickly and his first real games were in the European Championships.

"But at 19 it is beyond expectation to think he is going to be 100% right all the time.

"He is starting a process of development and we are going to help him."

In Madrid, England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson hauled Rooney off minutes before half-time to avoid a possible red card, a decision Ferguson was inclined to agree with.

"I have no criticism over that at all. Sven thought he was doing his best for the boy," said Ferguson.

Meanwhile, Rooney's Man Utd and England team-mate Gary Neville insisted the teenager's actions had "been blown out of proportion".

"He has only been booked twice in 20 England games. He is a young lad, and he tackles which is a good thing. There are not many forwards that tackle," Neville told BBC Sport.

"But there seems to be this circus thing with England where everything is blown out of proportion. I am not talking about racism but about every single little thing.

"He nudged someone in the back - if that had happened in the Premier League on a Saturday he probably would not have even been booked and we'd have all jogged back to the halfway line.

"But the way they all threw themselves about, the fans got up, then the referee didn't handle it properly, then the next two tackles weren't even bad tackles.

"It's not a question of needing to 'help Wayne' as some are suggesting, it's not even an issue."

Man Utd assistant boss Carlos Queiroz added Rooney was not the only England player who needed to learn from Wednesday's international.

"Every time we play we learn, and I am sure the lessons from Wednesday night are not only for Rooney," he said.

"They are for the whole England team. The tackles were not only from Rooney."

Insane, loony, crazy, silly, immature, shameful

Insane, loony, crazy, silly, immature, shameful they say??

OK so Wayne let his frustrations get the better of him, and should probably have been substituted at half time, but taking him off with 5 minutes of the first half left was crazy. It can only have given the Spanish something more to smile about. What Sven did amounted to giving Rooney a spanking and telling off right in front of people. How humiliating!

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Rooney scores a hat-trick on his Man United Debut!

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Wayne Rooney's debut for Manchester United was as good as any he has seen.

The 18-year-old England striker scored an amazing Champions League hat-trick in the 6-2 win over Fenerbahce.

Asked if he had ever seen such a fine debut, Ferguson said: "I don't suppose so. It is a great start for him.

"That's why we signed him as he's got great potential. But I would rather talk about the game to be honest. He is only 18 and a young boy, don't forget."

And Ferguson warned United's rivals that he expected the young striker - who was playing his first game in three months after breaking his foot at Euro 2004 - to get even better.

"He obviously tired in the last 20 minutes, but given that it was his first game since the European Championships you could expect that," he said.

"I think he can only get stronger.

"The important thing for me as a coach is to allow the boy to develop naturally without too much public attention. I want him to be as ordinary as he can."

Ruud van Nistelrooy also netted for United and Ferguson said he was excited about the prospect of the Dutch striker teaming up with Rooney.

"Given that Wayne and Ruud played together for the first time the future holds great promise," he said.

"With Ruud and Wayne as a partnership it was excellent."

And Van Nistelrooy himself was delighted to have finally played alongside Rooney in a competitive match.

"We are all delighted with his performance," said Van Nistelrooy.

"If I was to pick out one thing to praise it would be his attitude. He is only 18, it is his debut and he knows all eyes are on him - yet he just goes out and does his own thing."

Fenerbahce coach Christoph Daum was also extremely impressed with Rooney's performance.

"It was an outstanding debut," said Daum.

"It is something you dream of as a manager for a player to play in this way and to score in this way in his first game.

"If he does that, it makes you very happy and you're a very lucky manager.

"Rooney is still very young and maybe he will become the player of the century. He is at the beginning now though."

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said: "Wayne's debut was fantastic.

"To get a hat-trick is unbelievable, fairytale stuff. I do not think he knows what pressure is."

MANCHESTER United Agrees to Sign England Striker Wayne Rooney

Manchester United, soccer's most profitable club, said it reached an initial agreement to acquire Everton's Wayne Rooney, who became the youngest England player at age 17 last year

Rooney was the second-highest scorer with four goals at the European Championship, prompting England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson to compare his emergence with Pele's at the 1958 World Cup. Rooney broke a foot bone in the June quarterfinal defeat to host Portugal and hasn't played a match since.

Rooney, now 18, will register as a United player, ``subject to his completion of a medical,'' the club said in a Regulatory News Service statement. Television pictures showed Rooney arriving in Manchester today for his physical exam.

Rooney would compete for a first-team place with Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy, France's Louis Saha, and England's Alan Smith, a 7 million-pound signing from Leeds in May. Coach Alex Ferguson said he needs four strikers to have a chance of winning the Champions League, Europe's most lucrative club competition.

Ninth-placed United trails leaders Arsenal and Chelsea by seven points after the opening four Premiership games this season. It managed three goals to Arsenal's 16. Last season, United tied its lowest Premiership finish, coming third behind the London teams.

Rooney emerged as a 16-year-old when his 25-yard shot beat goalkeeper David Seaman to give Everton a 2-1 win over Arsenal, ending its 30-match unbeaten run.

He became England's youngest player in an exhibition game against Australia aged 17 years and 111 days in February 2003. He has nine goals in 16 England games and became the country's youngest scorer against Macedonia.

As well as scoring goals, the 5-foot-10 Rooney earned a reputation for ill-discipline. He collected 17 bookings and one red card in 77 games at Everton.

Everton last week rejected a 23.5 million-pound bid for Rooney from Newcastle.

Everton turn down Rooney offers

Everton "Turn Down" United Offer

Everton have confirmed that they have turned down United's £20million offer for striker Wayne Rooney.

The Merseyside club have also rejected an improved offer from Newcastle for the 18-year-old England star.

"Newcastle have submitted an increased offer for Wayne Rooney - one which has been turned down," said Everton's Head of Public Relations Ian Ross.

"The bid submitted by Manchester United has also been rejected."