Switzerland 1 England 3:Wayne Rooney put his personal problems to one side just as he promised and fired England on their way to a Euro 2012 qualifying win over 10-man Switzerland.
Substitutes Adam Johnson and Darren Bent also found the net after Stephen Lichtsteiner had been sent off, to ensure Xherdan Shaqiri’s thunderbolt was of no real value.
But Rooney will hog the headlines, just as he has done since Sunday, when the allegations over his private life were first made. The Manchester United star had reassured manager Fabio Capello he would be fully focused on the match, so the Italian started with the 24-year-old up front.
And, just as ordered, Rooney was in the right place to apply the neat finish to Glen Johnson’s cut-back. The celebration was not extensive, especially as Theo Walcott lay injured.
But inside there must have been a sense of relief and justification at his decision to remain with the Three Lions when it had been claimed by some that he should have gone back to the north-west.
Injured skipper Rio Ferdinand hailed the effort of “my boy” and, if Jermain Defoe had been similarly accurate, England would have wrapped up their second straight Group G win before half-time.
As it was, by the time Rooney departed with 11 minutes left, Capello’s side were still not safe — victory only assured when Bent fired home his first England goal two minutes from time.