1-2-3 8230; Rooney blasts off

After Wayne Rooney8217;s impact at Euro 2004 was likened to Pele8217;s arrival on the international scene, it was always going to be diffi...

After Wayne Rooney8217;s impact at Euro 2004 was likened to Pele8217;s arrival on the international scene, it was always going to be difficult to raise the stakes in the comparison game where the teenager was concerned.

But three months after hobbling out of Portugal with a broken foot, and seemingly untroubled by the burden of the 27-million-pound 48.9 million fee that Manchester United paid Everton last month, Rooney rattled off an awesome debut hat-trick on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old8217;s goals helped United to a 6-2 win over Fenerbahce at Old Trafford and talk immediately began of him surpassing the feats of the two most prolific United goalscorers of all time 8212; Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.

The devastating ferocity of the second of Rooney8217;s goals certainly recalled Charlton, who became famous for the thunderbolt strikes he conjured up for both United and England.

Charlton, who started his career as a striker before moving back to midfield for both club and country, also made his United debut as an 18-year-old in 1956, scoring twice against Charlton Athletic.

nbsp;	WHAT WAYNE DID

		nbsp;	8226; On Tuesday, made his debut for Manchester United, playing his first competitive game in 96 days 8226; 14 minutes: Chases van Nistelrooy through, rounds 8217;keeper, shoots over 8226; 17 mins: Ruud splits defence, Rooney breaks through and scores off left foot 8226; 28 mins: Right-footed shot from 20 yards out gives Rustu no chance 8226; 54 mins: Free-kick just outside the penalty area. Rooney8217;s shot sails over wall and into top left-hand corner 8226; 81 mins: Through-ball to Bellion makes it 6-2 to Man United WHAT THEY SAID It was fantastic. If he keeps on doing this he can beat my records. I wish him all the best and hope he can break every single record there is for Manchester United. He showed amazing character. If I were to praise one thing, it was his attitude. That also, at this very young age. 8212; RUUD VAN NISTELROOY I thought he was magnificent. He8217;s a great professional and it8217;s a great start for him. He tired understandably in the second half but he will get stronger. Rooney and Van Nistelrooy as a partnership were excellent. But I must allow the boy to develop naturally without too much press attention. 8212; ALEX FERGUSON	nbsp;

Charlton went on to play more than 750 games for United, scoring a club record 247 goals, as well as 106 times for England with a record 49 goals and won both the European and World Cups. Were it not for the fact that he was hurt and most his of his teammates were killed in the Munich air crash of 1958, his club tally would have been all the more impressive.

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Law, like Rooney, made his league debut as a 16-year-old, in his case for Huddersfield Town, and after spells at Manchester City and Torino, arrived at Old Trafford in 1962 with a huge transfer fee of 115,000 pounds hanging around his neck. But he cast off the burden of being British soccer8217;s most expensive player with two goals on his debut against West Bromwich Albion and went on to score 236 in all for Manchester United.

Physically, the slim Law and Rooney are complete opposites and in style the great Scot was all sharpness, anticipation and quick reactions in contrast to Rooney8217;s barrelling directness. But the pair would seem to be equally unafraid of the most illustrious of opponents or occasions and certainly Rooney has the same kind of pugnacious competitiveness that Law needed at a time when strikers were less well protected by referees.

But, of course, a debut hat-trick does not a career make and Fenerbahce coach Christoph Daum was quick to urge caution while simultaneously ratcheting up the hyperbole. 8216;8216;Rooney is still very young and maybe he will become the player of the century,8217;8217; said the German. 8216;8216;He is at the beginning now though.8217;8217;

If he can avoid injury and gets to play anywhere near the 600 matches notched up by his teammate Ryan Giggs, then he is certainly likely to follow Charlton and Law 8212; and another United great George Best 8212; in winning honours such as the European Player of the Year award.

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But after a lacklustre start to the season, United fans from Beijing to Barrow-in-Furness will simply be hoping that Rooney can help them compete with unbeaten champions Arsenal. Reuters