Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : June 12, 2014 10:13 AM IST
Every time a major tournament starts, all eyes turn to Wayne Rooney as they hope against hope that the temperamental forward will finally lead England to a major trophy. But sadly, ever since he burst onto the international scene in Euro 2004, Wayne Rooney has failed to deliver in a major tournament for his nation ever since, even though he has won all there's to win with his club Manchester United.
But Wayne Rooney is ready to let the past be and is finally glad to approach a World Cup without any major fitness worries (he was injured in 2006 and 2010). He said: 'Sometimes things just don't come off but hopefully this will be the tournament where I do it. We will have to wait and see. Time will tell. I feel good. Obviously playing on Wednesday night (against Honduras) helped me after missing the games at the end of the season. I have trained hard, feel good and I am ready to play against Italy. I have played in every training session and I am excited.'
Here's a peek at his diet and fitness regime:
Wayne Rooney is the first person to admit that he doesn't have the naturally lean athlete's physique like Cristiano Ronaldo or Ryan Giggs and tends to gain weight quickly. In fact, he's often turned up for pre-season a little overweight but he can usually get rid of the weight in a week or so.
In his book, My Decade in the Premier League he wrote: 'The club like us not to go overboard on the eating and drinking in the close-season break, so if I go abroad I like to get into the hotel gym three times a week to work on the treadmill and do some weight work. That way I can be sharp when we get back to training and the running will feel easier when the pre-season games start.'
The thing is that as a centre-forward for one of the world's biggest clubs, there really is no place to hide and that's why he has to be at his peak physically. Rooney also gave some insight in his book about the dietary demands of a modern footballer: 'When it comes to nutrition, all the players know what to eat and what not to eat all year round, but we allow ourselves some luxuries. During the season, I don't think there's any harm having a take-away now and then. The club always has someone on hand to talk to me about diet if I need them.'
Wayne Rooney's pre-match ritual
The striker has also discussed his pre-match rituals in his book and how he makes sure he gets at least eight hours of sleep a night, plus an hour or two in the afternoon. While that might seem excessive to office-goers, a footballer needs that much rest to rejuvenate from the rigours of training.
Mental preparation
Wayne also gave us some insight into how he prepares for match and it's a ritual he has followed since he was a little boy. He wrote in his book: 'I always like to picture the game the night before: I'll ask the kitman what kit we're wearing, so I can visualise it. It's something I've always done, from when I was a young boy. It helps to train your mind to situations that might happen the following day. I think about it as I'm lying in bed. What will I do if the ball gets crossed in the box this way? What movement will I have to make to get on the end of it? Just different things that might make you one per cent sharper.'
Pre-match food
Footballers follow a complex regime called carb-loading which looks to gradually increase carbs as the match-day approaches which is called supercompensation and can increase the player's glycogen levels to help him during the game. So pre-match , Wayne Rooney usually has some chicken, pasta or fish and tries to stock up as much as they can, especially if it's an early kick-off. Just before the he match he eats some Coco Pops (chocolate cereal) and a banana as a pre-match meal and some cereal bars right before the match which helps him last the entire 90 minutes.
Will Wayne Rooney finally deliver on the big stage? Well, we'll just have to wait and watch but we can be sure that it won't be for lack of will or preparation.
Picture source: Nike Football
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