Yet the hysterical reaction to Rooney’s foul, including calls for him to be stripped of the captaincy, for him almost to be sent to the Tower as the poster-boy for society’s ills, is ridiculous. In an era when some players do not care deeply enough, Rooney does care. He cares so much he occasionally strays into excess, trying to stop an opposing attack, trying to win. It is his nature and some of the youngsters now stepping towards the England senior dressing-room could do with acquiring some of Rooney’s hunger.