Wayne Rooney - Money-Grabber or Golden Boy?

Controversial. The headline says it all, but is there some sentiment of truth in it?

The United striker, who is now 28, has scored 209 goals in 432 appearances for his club, but who is he to hold a club to ransom?

Whether Rooney deserved his £50,000 increase in salary is a completely different argument, but that money looked wasted in United's Champions League loss against Olympiakos where the England striker failed to inspire a turnaround in an abysmal performance.

After holding the club up for ransom for a second time after the events of 2010, Rooney and his agent have played their cards perfectly in earning a lucrative new contract. 

Morally, this is incorrect. That's what we keep telling ourselves. The British's public view is that Rooney is a money-grabbing (insert inappropriate word here.) 

I say British public, because you would get the same response from someone who doesn't follow our religious ways of football, to someone who does, but only May last year, it seemed the club were wielding the power against the England striker, seemingly making it okay to leave him out of big games such as against Real Madrid.

What was Rooney's reaction? Was it interviews full of rage? Did he criticise his team-mates such as Robin van Persie has recent weeks? No. As Rooney fondly says, "He just wants to play his football." 

He has.

Almost as if it was a verbal response, Rooney's answer to leaving him out of high-profile games last season was, "It's not okay," and I'm going to show you why. 

Although United are experiencing an indifferent season, Rooney has been a constant white-light in a turbulent first season in charge under manager, David Moyes; yet the new United manager did say one very true comment after questioned about Crystal Palace's fans coin-throwing at Rooney:

"I’m sure all those people who were throwing coins at him will be cheering him on in three months’ time [at the World Cup]," Moyes said.

The Scotsman is right. Whether you support United or not, whether you object to his lucrative contract deals, he is England's golden boy, and he will always be England's golden boy.