He isn’t ‘back’. That needs to be clear. Wayne Rooney may have enjoyed his best night for some time with a Champions League hat-trick in Bruges — but don’t take that as a sign he is ready to roll back the years.

Yet, just as importantly, he isn’t finished. He never was finished.

Plenty of critics will have wanted to write him off, particularly as he had started the season slowly and had been without a goal since early April, but it is dangerous to make assumptions about the highest-profile players.

What Wayne has experienced recently is nothing new. John Terry has had to contend with it before and, after his substitution at Manchester City and red card at West Brom, he will have to do so again. Steven Gerrard had it last year; Michael Owen knew all about it, too.

Wayne Rooney's hat-trick against Club Bruges served as a timely reminder that class is permanent

Rooney beams in Belgium, a result which restored Manchester United to the Champions League proper

John Terry was subbed against Manchester City for the first time in 177 games under Jose Mourinho

All it takes is for a dip in form, a spell out of the team or the arrival of a new signing and, suddenly, the noise will start — he’s past it. He isn’t the player he was; move him on. I remember when it happened to me during Rafa Benitez’s final year as Liverpool manager.

Is Wayne the explosive, prolific player of his mid-20s, when he helped England qualify for the World Cup and was part of a Manchester United team that reached three Champions League finals in four years? No. I don’t believe we will ever see him at those levels again but that is not a criticism. There is a reason — just look at the number of games he has played.

He will be 30 in October and his next appearance will be the 667th of his career. Chelsea’s Pedro Rodriguez, by comparison, is just a little younger than him having turned 28 in July, yet his next appearance will be No 371.

That is an enormous difference. Rooney, effectively, has the kind of figures you would expect someone who is 33 or 34 to have and this point should be repeated. You judge cars by the amount of miles they have on the clock, not age, and footballers must be analysed by games.

Ask yourself, though, why he is still captain of club and country.

It is not just talent. That alone wouldn’t be enough given his current form. It his intensity and mentality. How many modern players show that every week? Very few.

The reason Rooney, Terry and Gerrard stayed at the top for so long is because of their mentality.

Rooney celebrates victory in the Champions League final in 2008 as Manchester United saw off Chelsea

Last season the ever-consistent Terry was a key factor in Chelsea winning a fourth Premier League title

Steven Gerrard has also experienced fallow patches during his remarkable career, but always bounced back

The prolific Michael Owen was written off many times during his playing days but proved the doubters wrong

They have an ability to block out the noise and keep coming back for more. That is why managers play them even when they are out of form. How can their qualities be replaced?

I roomed with Michael and Steven when they were England’s best. I remember them coming back from international matches having been subjected to criticism and you would see a look in their eye that told you they were going to prove a point.

After the World Cup in 2002, Michael found himself in the spotlight. He only had one goal after the opening 10 games and it was asked whether his spark had gone; then we went to Manchester City and he took frustrations out on them with a hat-trick. His tally at the end of the season was 32.

That’s why it is always dangerous to write them off. They have an unbelievable mental strength and you should never be surprised when they come back with a response Rooney provided in Belgium. How else do you think Gerrard shrugged off being dropped last year to end as Liverpool’s top scorer?

It doesn’t matter whether Rooney is not producing the fireworks you remember from early in his career.

He, like the other three I’ve mentioned, is one of the greatest footballers England has produced and that means he has dealt with constant scrutiny and resentment.

When things have gone wrong, they have had to put up with the majority of the country revelling in their misfortune. Terry got it when he slipped and missed a penalty in the 2008 Champions League final; Gerrard got it when he slipped and Demba Ba took the title away from Liverpool.

Owen returned to form after the 2002 World Cup, hitting his stride against Manchester City with a hat-trick

Gerrard trudges back to the half-way line knowing his costly slip against Chelsea dented Liverpool's title hopes

Terry admitted he was haunted by his penalty miss in Moscow, which let Manchester United off the hook

Does resentment come from them playing for an England team that never achieved their expectations? Was it down to the clubs they represented? I understand rivalries but how many opposing fans have stood there shouting at Rooney, quietly wishing he played for them instead?

Rooney will play with an injury and run himself to a standstill for the good of his team; how many times have you seen Terry wincing, hobbling or wearing a bandage but carrying on regardless as he wants three points so badly?

Think of all the times Gerrard dragged Liverpool off the floor.

Manchester United fans should have a feeling of security when watching Rooney as in the games that really matter, such as big derbies or Champions League showdowns, they know he will be feeling exactly as they do, win, lose or draw.

How many of that type are currently playing in the Premier League? When I look around at teams now — particularly the England set-up — I see a lot of nice, young lads, but how many have Rooney’s edge?

He, like Terry and Gerrard, is a born fighter. When things are hard, he is exactly the type of character you would want on your side.

Rooney and Terry are among the last of a dying breed. We should cherish them before they are gone for good.

Rodgers clear-out offers hope for brighter future

Liverpool's new-look squad has started the season well and will be aiming to head into the international break with another win at home to West Ham.

It has been another summer of change at Anfield, continuing this week with Mario Balotelli leaving, swiftly followed by Lazar Markovic. The pair cost a combined £36million a year ago, but they have been allowed to go out on loan.

From this distance, the way Liverpool are lining up — and the players who are no longer at the club — seems to show what parts Brendan Rodgers and the transfer committee played in last summer’s £117m spend.

Markovic and Balotelli have gone, while Alberto Moreno (£12m from Sevilla) is being kept out of the team by 18-year-old Joe Gomez, a £3.5m buy from Charlton in June. Defender Javier Manquillo, meanwhile, saw his two-year loan deal cancelled after 12 months.

Mario Balotelli has made his way back to Italy, joining AC Milan on loan after a torrid time on Merseyside

Lazar Markovic (second left) has also been shipped out on loan, while Dejan Lovren (second right) remains

Contrast that with Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana. They cost a combined £45m from Southampton and both fell well short of the standard expected. Yet they are still involved and playing regularly. Rodgers has stuck by them and given them the chance to turn things around.

All the players I have mentioned did not make a good start and that is in stark contrast to this window’s arrivals. James Milner, Nathaniel Clyne, Christian Benteke and Gomez have all got off on the right foot at the club. It is early days, but if Liverpool can beat West Ham, who have not won at Anfield since the 1960s, momentum will start to build and there will be belief that the new faces will help contribute to an encouraging season.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

Man of the week: Roberto Martinez

A notable mention should also go to Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who has stood firm under pressure from Chelsea, but his manager can look back with satisfaction on how he has handled the past few days.

Though John Stones had handed in a transfer request, Martinez had the strength to play him at Barnsley in the Capital One Cup and sent out a firm message all through this saga that Everton have ambitions of their own.

Words are all well and good but Martinez needed to back them up with actions at Oakwell. For a period against Barnsley, it seemed as though they would ring hollow as Everton were threatened with an embarrassing exit from one of only two competitions they can win. But he was decisive and made positive changes, introducing Gerard Deulofeu and Ross Barkley, and a 2-0 deficit eventually became a 5-3 win.

Roberto Martinez watches the win at Barnsley and deserves praise for handling the John Stones situation

Stones has handed in a transfer request and Chelsea have made two bids, but Everton are standing firm

Keeping Stones is all about enhancing Everton’s chance to end a trophy drought that stretches back 20 years.

Losing at Oakwell would have been demoralising and given those who are protesting against the Everton board even more reason to voice their frustrations. But a win means they still have two chances of silverware — and their best central defender will help them push for their aims.



