From a young prodigy of Merseyside to Manchester United's favourite footballing son, Wayne Rooney's journey to stardom has been one of those particularly fascinating ones.
The rise of the young boy coinciding to that of England's so-called "Golden Generation" was seemingly the very catalyst needed to repeat the coveted 1966 feat and it did not take long before the pundits branded him to be the 'next messiah', much like the 'Beckhams' and the 'Owens' in the past, who 'could' bring back the glory to the Three Lions.