Indeed, the nickname the former England captain earned at The Dell of “Clubby” – he liked clubbing the ball – would not be misplaced as Rooney’s moniker.Irvine, however, strikes a cautionary note about all young talent and he is qualified to speak after helping Damien Duff and David Dunn reach Blackburn and international level. “Alan Shearer was a hungry player and even now he just loves scoring goals, ” he says. “He has kept that desire all of his life and that is what young hopefuls like Wayne have to do. There is no doubt about his ability, but you have to keep wanting to do it.”Rooney comes from the kind of working class stock that suggests he will keep up that edge for as long as possible.

There are boxers in his family and the pugnacious prodigy has an edge to him that belies his years. In short, he can look after himself.Everton also believe that Rooney will go on to become even more powerful than his awesome, young frame. They have charted his growth and feel there is more to come, with the only concern being that it is vertical and not horizontal. Rooney is wide enough already.However, as Moyes and Irvine know, The Kid’s meteoric path will depend on several other factors. He is already being fought over by two agents, a potential problem when new contracts are being finalised. It seems that everyone wants a piece of the action and Moyes’ hush-hush approach is doomed to fail.As a student of Sir Alex Ferguson, Moyes no doubt wishes he could give Rooney the Ryan Giggs cotton-wool treatment, but that is one gameplan that is unlikely to succeed.

Such is the clamour for Rooney to play and be the instant answer to Everton’s prayers that the secret will not be a secret any more. Instead he will be the type that had Doris Day seeking the highest hills to sing from.. Joe Cole comes of age as a man this season, reaching his 21st birthday on 8 November It could also be the season he comes of age as a footballer. As far back as August 1999, when he was still 17 with just nine appearances behind him, intelligent observers were suggesting he could end the season as an international Such has been the hype around Cole. Only last season, however, did he finally begin to look a serious player rather than a party-act. Harry Redknapp was the ideal mentor in his youth, allowing Cole to develop his skills free of tactical constraints.