MX23RW : Friday, November 8 15:36:19| >> :120:70803:70803:

Glenn Hoddle: 'Wayne Rooney can take World Cup by storm'

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle believes that Wayne Rooney can take this summer's World Cup by storm if he is able to "relax and play his normal game".

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle has expressed his belief that Wayne Rooney can take the World Cup by storm if he plays his normal game this summer.

Rooney is seen as being central to England's hopes of doing well in the tournament, although the Manchester United man is yet to register a World Cup goal after disappointing showings in 2006 and 2010.

However, Hoddle believes that the 28-year-old is putting too much pressure on himself to flourish on the biggest stage and would thrive more if he found a way to "relax".

"Rooney can finally establish himself as a world-class performer and take Brazil by storm over the next few weeks but only if he calms down," Hoddle is quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"He simply must relax. I would tell him that in order to reach his peak on the biggest stage he needs to relax and play his normal game. He tries too hard to live up to his reputation as a world-class player and it shows."

Rooney, who has scored 39 goals in 91 appearances for his country, is expected to start in England's opening match against Italy on June 14 despite speculation over his place in the side.

ID:159261: cacheID:159261:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2109:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
David Beckham celebrates scoring for England against Colombia on June 26, 1998.
Read Next:
England's top five World Cup goals
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Bengals
34-35
Ravens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!