Skip to main content

‘No excuses’: Rooney feels pressure at World Cup

By WTOP Staff

ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The burden of delivering at the World Cup has consumed Wayne Rooney in the past, seeming to hinder his ability to deliver on football’s biggest stage.

In eight games across two World Cups, the England striker has not scored a single goal, looking agitated and unsettled in Germany and South Africa — a shadow of the dynamic, top-earning Premier League performer.

At 28, just when footballers should be reaching their football peak, Rooney knows he must deliver in Brazil if England is to progress, starting on Saturday against Italy in Manaus.

“I’ve always been hard on myself,” Rooney said Wednesday. “I’m a confident person and I believe in my ability. So I believe I’ve always put myself under that pressure because I know I can perform. I have no excuses.”

Free of injury and with his Manchester United future resolved, Rooney wants to turn the clock back to a time when he was more of a free spirit on the pitch.

“I’ve maybe put myself under too much pressure,” Rooney told reporters at England’s Rio de Janeiro base. “Maybe you guys, the media, have put me under a lot of pressure and I’ve tried to respond to that. This time I haven’t and I’m not going to.”

The 2006 tournament ended for Rooney with a red card against Portugal, and his frustrations spilled over four years later when he criticized England fans for booing him after another poor performance.

“I’ve learned to enjoy this one because I haven’t enjoyed the last ones, they’ve not gone well,” Rooney reflected on his checkered World Cup record. “All of a sudden you’re looking back and they’ve gone and I didn’t enjoy it. This one I’m going to enjoy it regardless of what happens.”

Because if you can’t enjoy a World Cup in Brazil what can you enjoy in football?

“I feel great and feel better than I have done for years,” he said. “I’ve had time to prepare with the team. I’ve done that. I’ve gone into previous tournaments with little niggles or different things, but I’ve not missed a session.”

Working with the talented newcomers in the squad, including Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw, is reviving memories for Rooney of when he burst onto the international scene as an 18-year-old scoring four goals at the 2004 European Championship.

“That’s the good thing about the younger lads in the squad: you can see that in them, in Ross and Raheem … there’s no fear,” Rooney said. “We’ve got a lot of energy, a lot of pace in the team, and if we can pick the right moments we can really hurt teams with the pace and tempo that we can hit them.”

Despite his poor World Cup record, Rooney’s 39 goals in 92 England appearances should ensure he starts up front against Italy — contrary to the unusually candid and vocal criticism from former Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes recently.

“I’m sure he’s upset a lot of people at Man United because they see me as worthy of signing a new deal at the club, so they obviously have got different opinion to what Paul has,” Rooney said. “It was a big strange.”

But Rooney has become adept to coping with criticism. He’s had little choice, having come under fire over his aggressive streak, scoring struggles and problems in his personal life at stages in his career.

“If someone is shouting at me, I have no problem with that,” he said, after a season when United performed woefully in the post-Alex Ferguson era. “You can see some players it really affects them. It’s not something I get concerned with.”

Just as he is not too concerned about facing Italy in the humidity of Manaus.

“When you play a high tempo they’ve struggled,” Rooney said of Saturday’s opponents. “The Italian league is nowhere near the tempo of the Premier League. Even when we played AC Milan, with (Alessandro) Nesta and (Paolo) Maldini were center halves, they really struggled when we’ve played a high tempo. If we can do that I am sure we will give them problems.”

___

Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote