Timely renaissance for Rooney

New appreciation for United captain as he celebrates 30th birthday

Ahead of his 30th birthday on Saturday, the view of Wayne Rooney as a player whose career, though hugely successful, has not quite fulfilled its early promise is being quietly reappraised.

The Manchester United and England captain may no longer be the force of nature he was as a teenager, but the dawn of his fourth decade brings the achievements of his 13-year professional career into sharp focus.