European Under-19 Championship:Dominant defenders and masterful midfielders will always win admirers among football managers and fans, but few prove quite as alluring as a striker who is averaging a goal a game.
In the wake of Monday night's hat-trick in the 3-0 win against Bulgaria, the Republic of Ireland's Adam Rooney is just such a creature, with 19 goals in as many outings at different age levels for his country. If he can maintain the record against Germany in Dalymount Park this evening, the home side could earn a place at this summer's European Under-19 Championship in Austria.
The hype before Monday's game was all about Sunderland striker Anthony Stokes who, having had a hand in all of Rooney's goals, could hardly be said to have disappointed.
Still, his fellow Dubliner stole the show at United Park, a ground where the 19-year-old Rooney used to watch his brother Mark, the St Patrick's Athletic striker who formerly played with Drogheda.
"I used to come up here every other week to watch him play," recalled Adam after Monday's game before adding chirpily, "I think I've got more goals than him here now."
Adam has had his own difficulties at club level, with a loan move from Stoke City to Yeovil Town yielding an unsatisfactory return. Having attracted attention from a number of British clubs, however, during his years with Home Farm Cherry Orchard and Crumlin United, Rooney remains very positive about his future at Stoke, where he returns for next season.
Two of his goals in Monday's win fitted in well with the young striker's almost baffled assessment when asked about his international strike rate late last week: "I don't know, I just keep getting on the end of things in the box."
But his third, a coolly-struck low, long-range shot showed there is a good deal more to his game than just poaching.
Sean McCaffrey is particularly well served in attack at this level and Rooney was, he says, motivated on Monday by the thought of so many other players waiting on their chance if he failed to provide the required breakthrough.
"I was thinking before the game, I better get an early goal or else I'm coming off because there are a good few strikers in the squad. There's Stokesy, there's Keith Treacy, Downsey (Aidan Downes) of Everton and Cillian Sheridan at Celtic. There's a lot of competition."
It's hard, somehow, to imagine that he hasn't kept it at bay for the moment. Indeed, it's unlikely that McCaffrey, who must replace the suspended Robert Bayly (Treacy is set to take his place), will look to significantly change Monday's winning line up.
Certainly, Stokes looks certain to start up front again with Rooney, something that is likely to please the latter. "He's obviously a great player," says Rooney. "I've known him years, I've seen him come through the leagues. He can free things and make things happen.
"He keeps creating chances for himself and me as well, which is good for the team. When he's having shots I'm always looking for the rebound. It works both ways, we both linked up in the second half to put each other in, which is good."
Together, he hopes, they will breach a German defence that should prove a good deal more resilient than Bulgaria's.
"We played Germany about a month ago. We drew and I thought we should have won it. We conceded an own goal in the last few minutes when they were putting the pressure on. So I feel confident we can beat them if we play well."
