Wayne Rooney

Outside Reading Section 5 Post B

In this section Wayne Rooney talks about his metatarsal injury right before the World Cup, his first trophy and his World Cup dreams might coming true. It was amazing to me that the Carling Cup (not a very top class professional trophy)was his first ever serious trophy and that he was delighted with himself about it. The most important part of this section is where you learn about his metatarsal he got in a game against Chelsea right before the World Cup. "It was in Whalley Range Hospital,back in Manchester after the Chelsea game, that it was officially confirmed my metatarsal had gone."(223)He thought he was out of the World Cup for sue but amazingly after being given a "gel boot" to make it heal faster he found that he would be able to play in the World Cup after a scan on his foot. "Eventually, I got called back, and I was told that my foot had fully healed. It was absolutely brilliant news. I could now start full training."(246)The last chapter is basically about him being in a German hotel preparing for the World Cup and being delighted to be with his England teammates. He is so happy because he knows that he will be able to play in the World Cup. Only a few weeks ago he couldn't have dreamed it was possible but his foot healed and he couldn't wait to play in his first World Cup match. This for me, was the best section so far because it had such happy ending.

Outside Reading Section 5 Post A

1. deliberate(217)-carefully weighed or considered; studied; intentional

2. psychology(221)-
1.the science of the mind or of mental states and processes.
2.the science of human and animal behavior.
3.the sum or characteristics of the mental states and processes of a person or class of persons, or of the mental states and processes involved in a field of activity.


One emerging theme in this section is the more you have the more you have to lose. Wayne Rooney looked like he had it all and was going to lead England to their first World Cup victory in forty years. But that summer he fractured his metatarsal and all his World Cup hopes and dreams went down the drain.

Section 4 Post B

In this section Wayne Rooney talks about things like his thirty million pound deal with Manchester United, his relationship with his teammates and coaches, personal life, his gambling problem and his average day as a superstar.

One of my favorite parts of the section is the part when he talks about his personal life. He talks about himself as a regular person and not some kind of superhero. I learned that Wayne Rooney is not a big tough guy like he is potrayed and is actually scared of the dark and is very lonely at times. You also learn that he comes from a very humble family. His mother, for example, still works as a lunch lady because she refuses to live off her son. "Despite having moved into their new house , my mum still enjoys her work at my old school as a dinner lady and earns 287 pounds a month, insisting that she doesn't live off her son." (pg. 174). I think this very respectable and it shows that Wayne Rooney comes from a good family backround.

One of the sad parts in this section is that you learn how viscious the paparazzi has been to Wayne Rooney and his fiancee Colleen."On that trip, one paper bribed a young man to follow Colleen down the street and at a certain moment, run up and kiss her. It was a total set-up, just to make it look as if she was going out with some lad."(pg. 175)This is just awful. It makes you feel very bad for the Rooney family because they don't have alot of privacy at all.

Section 4 Post A

.envious (pg. 152)-adjective- showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages.

ambitious (pg. 161)-adjective-requiring exceptional effort, ability, etc.

I think that one emerging theme in this section is that money doesn't neccessarily make you happy. In this section Wayne Rooney is now a multi-millionaire but still feels depressed at numerous times. He says alot in the book that it is people who comfort him the most and not money.

Section 3 of Outside Reading: Post B

In this section Wayne Rooney gets asked to play for the sensational England national team at the age of just 17 years old. Making the youngest person to play for England ever. On the day where he got to meet he is nervous and very exited about meeting his soccer legend teammates. "But it was weird seeing all the famous players like Becks, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Frank Lampard and Sol Campell - people whose faces I knew so well, who were so familiar to me, yet I'd never seen before."(pg.111)". This quote sticks out for me because I watch these players just like Wayne Rooney did and to hear Wayne Rooney, a great soccer player, talk about how in awe he was of these players is inspiring. I think this is inspiring because it shows that Wayne Rooney is a regular guy just like me and that if I work hard I might be able to see these players too. This is the part of the section I really liked. He talks about the joys of playing soccer like meeting the heroes of your youth and plating alongside them. The rest of the section is about things that are bad about soccer. Thing like greed, corruption and hatred. Almost all of these things are about the money in soccer. It pleased me when Wayne Rooney said that he is not one of those people who really cares about money or clothes or contract deals with NIKE. It is nice to know that the things he most cares about are the basic things like family, friends and having fun playing soccer.

Section 3 of Outside Reading: Post A

. apprentice (pg. 103)- a person who works for another in order to learn a trade.

. incentive (pg. 113)- n. Something, such as the fear of punishment or the expectation of reward, that induces action or motivates effort.

. An emerging theme in this section is trust only ones that are closest to you or you will be history in no time. When Wayne Rooney was just starting out in soccer, he got ripped off many times because he was so trusting but he learnt his lesson.