Traditionally, the number ten shirt is associated with players who possess game-changing vision, an imagination of approach and skill on the ball. In Wayne Rooney, the current England side has a forward who looks to be cast in the same mould as Premier League legends who have made this shirt number their own, such as Dennis Bergkamp and Gianfranco Zola. In the past, England number tens, such as Geoff Hurst and Gary Lineker, have had a big impact at the World Cup finals, a record Rooney will look to continue in South Africa.
The only England player ever to score a hat-trick at a World Cup final, Geoff Hurst is arguably the most famous wearer of the number ten shirt. Hurst’s second goal in the final against West Germany forms part of English football fans’ collective consciousness. It is easy to forget that the final was only Hurst’s eighth cap and he had not started the tournament as England’s first choice striker. He is fondly remembered by England and West Ham fans for his industriousness and potent aerial ability.
Although not remembered for his heading, Gary Lineker cemented his place amongst England’s World Cup legends at the 1986 and 1990 finals. Lineker remains the Three Lions’ record World Cup goalscorer, with 10 goals in 12 finals appearances, including a remarkable – and vital – 37-minute hat-trick against Poland.
But Hurst and Lineker were not perhaps creative players in the way Zola and Bergkamp were, despite their prolific records. In Wayne Rooney, England manager Fabio Capello has at his disposal a player more than happy to be either goal poacher or goal maker. With 34 goals in all competitions, his club form for Manchester United this season was scintillating. More of England’s World Cup goals have been scored by players wearing ten than any other shirt number, and England fans will hope that Rooney can reproduce his glittering club form and emulate the achievements of Lineker and Hurst in South Africa.
