Sir Bobby Charlton: Wayne Rooney can handle the pressure for club and country

By Mark Ogden 745AM GMT nineteen March 2010

Star spin Wayne Rooney wheels afar after scoring opposite AC Milan in the Champions League Photo GETTY IMAGES

Rooney"s stately form in new months has led him to mangle the 30-goal separator for United this deteriorate and his 4 goals in dual games opposite AC Milan desirous Sir Alex Ferguson"s group to a last-16 Champions League victory.

The twenty-four year-old has emerged as the main figure for Manchester United and England, but his new abounding capillary of form have additionally led to concerns that he might be incompetent to means such a high-level of opening before to vacating for South Africa.

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England good Charlton successfully rubbed the outrageous expectancy on his shoulders by pushing Alf Ramsey"s group to World Cup excellence in 1966. And the 72 year-old expects Rooney to transcend in identical conform at this summer"s World Cup.

Charlton pronounced "There is a lot of hype around Wayne, but I think he can hoop it. In 1966, Alf Ramsey usually authorised the media to see us on a Thursday from dual o"clock until four, but it"s a opposite universe now.

"And nonetheless there will be a lot of hype around Wayne at the World Cup, I think he"ll perform as well as any one there. He is right at the rise of his ability and all he wants to do is fool around football. He"s a good character, a good lad, and has got a lot of goals to measure yet."

Despite winning the last of his 106 England caps in the 1970 World Cup quarter-final better opposite West Germany, Charlton"s transport of 49 general goals stays the country"s jot down figure.

Gary Lineker came inside of one idea of equalling Charlton"s record, whilst Michael Owen"s prospects of scoring the 10 goals he requires to pass Charlton crop up dour carrying been absent from the England stage for dual years.

Rooney"s lapse of twenty-five goals in 58 appearances would indicate that he is on march to explain the eminence of being England"s all-time heading goalscorer, however, and Charlton admits that he expects, and hopes, to see the United brazen erase him from the jot down books.

Charlton pronounced "I would think that Wayne will probably mangle my England record. If there was anybody around who you would contend could do it, you would have to contend Wayne Rooney will. That would give me a good understanding of pleasure.

"Everything that he touches seems to be going in at the moment. It won"t be similar to that forever, but he"s got his head screwed on all right."

Rooney"s evident plea is to assistance United win a fourth unbroken Premier League pretension and a fourth European Cup this season.

Should United go all the approach to the Champions League last in Madrid, they will fool around a serve thirteen games at home and abroad this term, handing Rooney now on 32 goals in all competitions the possibility to transcend Cristiano Ronaldo"s 42 during the 2007-08 campaign. Denis Law binds the bar jot down of 46 goals in a season.