Wayne Who?

The British newspapers en-masse were full of it today. Each one carried the identical photo on its front page.
Some earth-shattering news?
The end of the world?
The discovery of life on another planet?
Peace, agreement and harmony on earth?
An end to poverty and starvation in the world?
No.
Wayne Rooney kicked a ball. Yes, the kid kicked a ball.
One rag's front page headline read, with no respect to real religious feelings: "There is a God".
Mr Rooney, in case you didn't know, plays Association Football. He is hoping to be in the team representing England in the World Cup. I should here explain to you Yanks that in this case the word "world" really means that. Any country can take part. Elimination rounds take place and the top 32 countries get to the finals in the host country. The host country is, of course, the winner of the previous final of the four-yearly event. This is unlike the American World Series - which only includes teams from the USA. But then most Yanks seem to think that there is no world outside of their own insular boundaries.
Politics aside, Mr Rooney is a young footballer of note. He recently broke a metatarsal - that's a bone in the foot to you and me.
Pictures were shown in newspapers of the scan of the offending broken bone. It was the end of the world for English football fans because if the foot was damaged its owner could not play, and therefore score, for the English team in the competition. Notably the previous winners, and thus host nation this time round, were Germany - the team which England beat in the final of 1966. This was the one and only time England have won the World Cup.
But today - miracle of miracles - Mr Rooney is pictured doing a flying scissors kick. This is good news for Mr Rooney. But it will take more than one kick to prove that he is able to take part in a full match with all the stresses and strains that can be put on such a famous metatarsal.
I wish Wayne well. I know his desire to play in such a prestigious competition must be absolute. But he is young enough to try again in four years time. One of the troubles is that pressure from the press for the "saviour" to win the tournament for the team might lead him to play before he is ready and then possibly even wreck the rest of his career by permanently damaging his foot.
I'm Irish - but I wish the England team well and hope they can realise their ambitions.
I just hope the fans will be able to take it if Wayne cannot play.
I hope they will be able to take it if Wayne does play and proves not to be the miracle man they have set him up to be.