it would be hard to justify putting anyone on top of this list other than Wayne Rooney. Is he incredibly talented? Yes. Has he failed horribly on the national stage in his career? Yes. By scoring against Uruguay this past week, he notched his first goal at a World Cup. For a player of his pedigree, that is simply not enough and would lead us to believe that he’s not an elite player on the national stage.
Now, this isn’t to say that he isn’t a huge talent for Manchester United because he is. Anyone who remembers his terrific bicycle kick goal versus rival Manchester City can attest to his ability in big moments, but there have been very little of those moments when he dons his nation’s jersey. He isn’t too old to shake this title of being overrated on the national stage, but he’ll have to wait another 4 years to have a chance to prove himself. He can only hope the young talent around him continues to grow (Sterling, Sturridge, Lallana) and gives him that chance.