Would You Bet on Rooney? A Statistical Breakdown of a Potential Great

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Betting on Wayne Rooney to score in an England international, especially in the recent friendly against Scotland, is about as safe a bet as you could have made this season. In fact, a £10 punt on Rooney to find the back of the net in that game would have netted you £25 in profit if you'd have placed a bet at William Hill (2.5:1 odds) and £30 profit at 32Red (3:1 odds). However, despite the Manchester United forward's undeniable talent for both club and country, his temperamental attitude has caused some to question whether he can be considered amongst England's greats. Of course, fans of Rooney will cite his two goals against Scotland as yet another reason why he'll be considered a "legend" when he finally hangs up his boots. However, there aren't many football fans that are willing to rush out and take a punt on Rooney just yet. Obviously, placing a bet on anything in the sporting world requires some research; so, with this mind, let's run through some of Rooney's key stats and analyse whether or not he's a +EV bet for England's Hall of Fame. Wayne Rooney's Career Stats (post-England vs. Scotland - 18/11/2014):• Goals Scored: 46• Games Played: 101• Assists: 19• Minutes on the Pitch: 7,703• Yellow Cards: 11• Red Cards: 2Analysing the Stats• Looking closely at the numbers Rooney's already achieved, his tally of 46 goals is already enough to make him the third most prolific striker in England history ahead of Michael Owen (40 goals). However, with more games left in him, it's highly likely that Rooney will move ahead of Gary Lineker (2nd - 48 goals) and, probably, beyond the 49 goals England's all-time top scorer, Bobby Charlton, racked up during his career. • In terms of time on the pitch, Rooney is still some way from catching Peter Shilton's record of 125 England caps, but with almost 8,000 minutes on the pitch he's certainly no slouch in this department. To break into the top five, Rooney must notch up another seven England appearances before he can dislodge Ashley Cole from his perch. Obviously, Rooney is still some way off of an international retirement and, as England captain, it's likely he'll earn plenty more caps before the whistle blows on his career. • Looking purely at assists, Rooney isn't up there with England's greatest play-makers; however, that's certainly not a blot on his career. Because of his direct style and hunger for goals, Rooney is often the man fighting for the ball or making the move for goal. Of course, 19 assists to-date is not to be sniffed at, but in terms of weighing up Rooney's "legend" credentials, it's not necessarily a great stat to focus on. • If there's one area where Rooney falls down it's perhaps his discipline. With 11 yellows and two reds, he's found himself in trouble in almost 10% of the matches he's played for England. Add to that record a further 81 yellow cards and three reds for Manchester United and it's clear he has a problem with discipline. Although some will argue that many of the greats have had a problem with keeping their cool - think Eric Cantona - the reality is that discipline is a measure of professionalism, which in turn is a prerequisite for "greatness".Looking back through the list of England's all-time greats reveals names such as Charlton, Lineker, Moore and Matthews. Although some were prone to the odd moment of madness, none could be described as a disciplinary disaster. In contrast, if you were to talk about Rooney in betting terms, he'd be described as "high risk".Is Wayne Rooney a future legend? So, you've compared the odds on 32Red, Ladbrokes and William Hill, combed over Rooney stats but still aren't sure what to do. In our opinion, the naturally talented striker is worth a punt. However, he certainly shouldn’t be regarded alongside the likes of Lineker, Charlton and Moore just yet. In essence, Rooney's fate is in his own hands. There is no doubt that his skills as a footballer are enough to make him one of the finest striker's in English history. However, if he's unable to control his temper in the twilight of his career then he could be on the road to nowhere. Hopefully Rooney doesn't press the self-destruct button on his career, because, even if you're not a fan of his, you can't argue with his impressive stats to-date. Having gone through the numbers and considered their significance, should you take a punt on Rooney to join England's Hall of Fame? In our opinion, the football world is full of uncertainties, but when it comes to Rooney's status as a great, we pretty sure it's a safe bet.