As he prepares to lead England as captain against Norway on Wednesday, Wayne Rooney says he will not consider his tenure a success unless it sees him lift a trophy.
The 28-year-old Manchester United striker was last week appointed as Steven Gerrard’s successor as skipper after the Liverpool midfielder retired from international football following the World Cup.
With 95 caps to his name, Rooney has at least twice as much experience as any other member of Roy Hodgson’s current squad.
He has known nothing but disappointment at the five major tournaments he has played in, but despite England’s dismal group-stage exit at the World Cup, he still believes he can inspire the team to glory.
“I’ve always wanted to win a trophy with England, and if I can lead us to do that, that’ll be the pinnacle of my career,” he told journalists at an eve-of-match briefing on Tuesday.
“That will be very difficult, but I really do think it’s achievable. Look at the players we’ve got. They’re exciting players.
“They have to do what they do for their clubs with England, and we have to bring that together. Of course it’s very difficult. It is for any country, but that has to be our aim.
“It’s pointless not having that as your aim or your desire.”
While Rooney cited his former Manchester United teammate Gary Neville and ex-England colleague David Beckham as two captains whose methods he would seek to emulate, he was particularly effusive in his praise of Gerrard.
“I’m close with Steven and probably watched him closer than any of them, the way he handled himself and the team,” said Rooney, who is also United’s new captain.
“Gary knows the game very well. That’s where you see him going straight into the job he’s doing at Sky (as a television pundit).
“Becks was obviously a great ambassador for English football, and Steven had both qualities. A lot of qualities.
“He’s the one who demanded the most on the pitch, which is what I feel is my strongest quality. Obviously, the stuff off the pitch, I’ll learn. I demand a lot from myself, and I’ll demand a lot from my teammates.”
A dearth of competition at international level means that Rooney is practically guaranteed a starting berth, but he faces increased competition for a place with his club.
United further bolstered their attacking ranks by signing Radamel Falcao on loan on transfer deadline day and with Robin van Persie also at manager Louis van Gaal’s disposal, there has been speculation that Rooney will be asked to play at No 10.
The former Everton player has previously spoken about one day playing even further back, in midfield, and he thinks it would be a natural progression.
“I certainly feel I’m capable of dropping back (into midfield),” said Rooney, who will partner Daniel Sturridge up front against Norway.
“I’m sure one day I will. That’s down to my two managers now and me speaking to them. I know what you’re getting at, obviously.
“That’s more a question about United, and that’s down to what Louis van Gaal wants. We need to speak to him about that and see what happens.
“I think on the back end of my career, I’ll probably definitely play there (in midfield). But in terms of now, I’m not sure.”
A crowd of only 40,000 is expected for Wednesday’s game, but Rooney says he is desperate to give the fans reason for optimism ahead of England’s first Euro 2016 qualifier away to Switzerland on Monday.
“We’re always grateful to the fans. Their support is second to none,” he said.
“We’re very grateful and hopefully we can repay them with some good performances over the next two years, and exciting, attractive football to qualify for Euro 2016. That’s the aim, and that starts from tomorrow.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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