Rooney's chance to shine

Should Wayne Rooney be fit to play for England against Montenegro next Tuesday, it may be the perfect opportunity for the Manchester United striker to finally put the negative headlines behind him and instead start doing what he does best - finding the back of the net with vital goals for both club and country.

With the Betfair Football tips suggesting Montenegro are likely to provide a stern test to a Fabio Capello side that will be missing several top players through injury, Rooney's presence may be the lift that some of the younger members of the squad such as Adam Johnson and Joe Hart require to give them the belief that they can fulfil the incredibly high expectations that England fans set for their side. Anyone who has placed a football daily bet on England to win want to see the striker firing on all cylinders.

With the crowd likely to be despondent if England aren't leading by the break, Rooney needs to show that he is alert and creating chances on a regular basis in the first 45 minutes and, if he does so, hopefully he can inspire the crowd to get behind him with chants of "Rooney, Rooney".

However, should Wayne once again fall flat this season, then fans will perhaps start to ask the question as to whether he really is still a world-class player or if he is a good player who has been performing at a level he won't be able to reach again, something that Rooney will be desperate to disprove.

With this in mind, a good performance that silences doubters and puts positive headlines back on the tabloids' back pages would do both Rooney and the England team the world of good.