Rooney: It’s The Boots, Stupid! …
As fans come to terms with injured Wayne Rooney’s absence from crucial games for both club and country, Nike insists its boot design is not to blame.
Rooney is out of football for at least two months. He’ll miss vital club clashes against City, Chelsea and Spurs, plus the emotional meeting with Sunderland.
His absence from England’s Euro 2008 qualifying matches is also a grievous blow, unless you follow the statistically correct leanings of the Telegraph newspaper.
Nevertheless, Nike, with a share price to protect, claims Rooney’s third foot break in as many years is not the fault of his chosen footwear.
Charlie Brooks, head of corporate communications for Nike UK, told Channel 4 News: “He himself is personally absolutely confident, as we are, that the boot had nothing to do with his injury.
“Nearly 20 per cent of the professional players in the Barclays Premier league this weekend were wearing this boot.
“I think it is a boot that stands up to all kinds of testing and stands up to on-pitch demand.
“When we were developing this boot we worked extensively with Wayne. He was part of the development testing process. I think what happened to Wayne is an unfortunate football injury.”
Well, what else could Charlie say?
The bald fact is however that Michael Duberry’s innocuous-looking challenge has put United’s star striker out of action again and may imperil the club’s chances of defending the title won last season. Fans in the stands want answers and Nike’s boots are in the firing line.
Ex-Gunner-turned-telly presenter Ian Wright, has claimed that Nike cannot any longer wriggle away from its responsibility.
“I’m convinced the modern football boot isn’t giving players adequate protection,” he writes in today’s Sun newspaper. “Boot companies should concentrate on the sturdiness of the footwear.
“I’ve looked back at Michael Duberry’s tackle and it seems pretty harmless. Rooney’s boot looked like it didn’t give him proper support. His foot seemed to be squashed far too easily.
“Boot technology now is much better than when I was playing but it doesn’t seem to be being used in the correct way. The boots I wore were very solid and rigid — the modern boot is so light and flimsy it gives very little protection. I guess they’re flimsy because makers hope it will improve players’ speed and agility. They’re like paper and if you strike the ball properly it hurts your foot. This shouldn’t happen. We need some real scientific analysis and strength tests. Something is very wrong and more research needs to be done.”
Wright doesn’t say whether he has used the boots Rooney favours but his point is clear and is supported by medical opinion.
The Telegraph reported the views of Professor Chris Moran, an independent medical expert who advised Rooney on his metatarsal injury last year. He believes the “flimsy” nature of modern boots may increase the risk of players suffering foot fractures.
“Compared to 30 years ago, footballers are now athletes and are training like athletes,” he said. “Therefore they are much more susceptible to the sort of injuries that athletes get.
“There’s no question that we’re seeing more metatarsal injuries and that could be because boots are more flimsy. It can’t be because players are tackling harder than when the likes of Billy Bremner or Norman Hunter did when they were playing.”
The question remains: Will elite footballers like Rooney - the face of Nike - continue to risk metatarsal breaks and hairline fractures by wearing such “flimsy” boots?
The answer is obvious. All eyes will be on Rooney’s first match when his recovery is complete. Nike’s corporate interest and the law of contract will in all likelihood ensure that Rooney takes the field in company equipment when he returns in October. After three breaks in three years, Rooney might be better advised to find a new boot design or a new sponsor but will he be allowed so to do?
Rooney may have a physical frailty which leaves him vulnerable to ‘impact injury’ but his current footwear is not helping his cause. Nike might disagree but the opinion of fans, observers and medics is clear - It’s the boots, stupid!
