England fans will have been horrified at the news that Wayne Rooney may miss the World Cup 2006. Even if he makes a miraculous recovery, he is unlikely to be firing on all cylinders for England. Potentially Englands best ever footballer, Rooney will not be at his best for the World Cup 2006, if there at all.
Just last week I covered the news that Rooney would be wearing a new pair of football boots for the game. The week before I wrote about banning bladed football boots, for Englands sake.
Wayne Rooney wasn’t wearing bladed boots when he injured his metatarasal. His new Nike Total 90 Supremacy, were traditional screw in boots, Alex Ferguson won’t allow his players to wear bladed boots after Roy Keane broke a metatarsal.
Ferreira, who made the tackle on Rooney when he was injured, was wearing bladed boots, but after watching the replay its clear the blades of Ferreira’s football boots were not responsible for the injury to Rooney.
So is there any blame to be attributed to anyone, or anything? Yes.
Having watched the replay of the tackle on Rooney over and over (watch it here), I believe that the break to the metatarsal was caused by the shin of Ferreira’s trailing leg catching Rooneys football boot in the turf and twisting the foot.
When watching the replay, it is clear that immediately following his football boot becoming caught in the turf, you can see the top of Rooney’s football boot twisting. This is where the metatarsal is located and when the bone broke.
Ferreira’s right shin makes contact with the football boot of Wayne Rooney. The football boot twists Rooney’s foot, breaking the metatarsal and leaves Rooney and England with a slim chance of success at the World Cup 2006.
I believe that this injury is a result of Rooney wearing his new Nike Total 90 Supremacy football boots. I believe this football boot and other modern football boots do not provide enough protection. Specifically in the case of the injury to Rooney, the sole of the football boots is too flexible and did not give enough support to Rooney’s foot. The metatarsal injury was unheard of years ago, now with modern ligtweight foortball boots its responsible for 30% of long term injuries.
With the long list of International English footballers suffering from metatarsal breaks (Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Trevor Sinclair, Ashley Cole, Scott Parker, Michael Owen, Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard), surely it needs some offical research into the matter. Not that it will help England and Rooney’s chances of making the World Cup 2006.
There is more to this biomechanical problem than simply blades vs studs.
The rigid support along the length of the sole is being phased out and so does the use of leather for the sake of some wacky polymers.
You can’t beat natural materials no matter how hard you try.
I hope the various training shoes manufacturers realise that one day and get down to basics. It is one thing making fashionable shoes for kids (they look good but they are biomechanically flawed) and another to produce a decent football boot.
Do these designers ever wear any of these boots and try them on themselves?
Have to say I totally agree with you – from a youth point of view the structure of the boot is completely insufficient to provide adequate protection- both Nike and Adidas fundamentally use the same the same shell with different designs released every month or so to kids wanting the boots their star players have – polymers absorb less pressure than leather and much of the ball contact is taken up on the bone structure which is completely unacceptable for developing bones – the base plate is less rigid and whilst it undoubtably gives more ball feel it does not provide adequate support or protection from tackles. Blades or Cleats twist in turf and contibute significantly to stress on the metatarsals. Unless there is a backlash from sponsored players you will continue to see cheaply made polymer boots being snapped up every saturday in the sports retailers by budding beckhams at £24.99 for what efectively is a plastic shoe – laughable!
boots are well too light weight and weak at supporting the players feet, BRING BACK THE CLASSIC ADIDAS LEATHER FOOTBALL BOOT. the boots bought out by top designers like nike and addidas are only there so the player can up hold his fabolous life style on and off the pitch.
COME ON ENGLAND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rooney thank you for what you are doing for Manchester United. The boot that you wear is not the cause of your injury, let agree that what happens, happens.
Thanks from your supporter in Nigeria.
i think you should play in the world cup because you are the don xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx COME ON ROONEY !!!!!!!!COME ON ROONEY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t think its the boot, i have broken that and it just a case of the way you fall. I broke it on my left foot by kicking someones foot so its not down to the football boot but the player.