Wayne Rooney exclusive: England World Cup squad can be heroes in Brazil
Wayne Rooney insists he will be fit to dazzle on the World Cup stage.
The Manchester United striker has two fitness experts with him while takes a break in Portugal this week ahead of joining up with Roy Hodgson’s England squad for Brazil.
A groin injury kept him out of United’s final two Premier League matches, but after failing to make the impression he wanted in Germany in 2006 and again in South Africa four years ago, he is determined to put that right in Brazil.
He claims he could not be better set up to have a good tournament, and his form for United has been one of their few highlights this season.
He has netted 17 times in his 29 league appearances and says: “You always feel this can be your tournament. It hasn’t happened for me at the last two World Cups, but I’ve prepared as well as I can for this tournament. I’ll be ready and fully fit and I’m really excited about that.
“It’s about the team and as a team we have to do well and I’m hoping I can be part of that. I know if I have the tournament I know I can have, then we’ll do really well.”
Rooney was reared on tales of 1966 and the heroics of his idol Paul Gascoigne at Italia 90 and Euro 96. And he believes the Three Lions squad named by Hodgson on Monday can write their own chapter in the nation’s footballing folklore.
“We can all be heroes,” said the striker. “It’s our chance to make history for our country and you don’t get many opportunities. You see all the programmes on TV, looking back at the history of the World Cup and that’s what we want to do.
“We want to create our own bit of history so in years to come, people will look back at what we did.
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England Squad
“It’s there, the stage is set. We just have to go out and deliver.
“It would be great if in years from now, people say ‘remember England in 2014’ because that means we will have done really well or won it.”
Rooney, 28, is adamant this is no pipedream and bullishly claims England CAN win the World Cup.
“Success for me would be winning it,” he said. “We’re not going to make up the numbers. We’re going to try and win the tournament. I think that’s the attitude we’ve got to have.
“We have to go with the mentality we can win it. Any tournament you play in, you’ve got to believe you can win it. There’s no point otherwise.”
He disagrees with the doom-mongers, who say England will not get out of their group of death with Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica, and insists they can qualify as winners.
He has pinpointed England’s opening game against Italy in the steaming heat of Manaus on June 14 as critical.
Italy are the last side to beat England in a competitive game, at Euro 2012, and Rooney says they can avenge that quarter-final loss.
“I believe we are good enough to get out of our group and good enough to win the group,” said Rooney, who was speaking at Samsung’s Manchester store as part of Samsung’s Galaxy 11 campaign alongside superstars Messi and Ronaldo.
“The first game is obviously important. It’s vital not to lose the first game. But we are good enough to win that first game and if we do, confidence will grow.”
Rooney is heartened by the emergence of so many young players since Euro 2012 and is particularly excited by the prospect of teaming up with Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge.
He feels any one of Hodgson’s Three Lioncubs could star in Brazil.
“You have to look at Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge,” he said. “What they’ve done has been great. Daniel has scored a lot of goals. Raheem, a lot of goals and assists. And then the likes of Adam Lallana, who’s come into the squad and Luke Shaw, a lot of exciting young players.
“What we’ve seen in recent tournaments, is players who you wouldn’t think can would be stars. We’re hoping we have a few of them in our team.”
And if England do, then they can write their own bit of history.
* Wayne Rooney was at the Samsung Experience store in Manchester, meeting fans as part of the Galaxy 11 football team, who are using the Samsung Galaxy S5 and new Gear devices to help them train for a 'winner takes the earth' match against aliens on a virtual football pitch. Samsung is offering fans the chance to win the ultimate product bundle and a Wayne Rooney-signed football this summer with the Galaxy 11. To find out how to enter, visit a Samsung store near you.
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