Now the new Rooney simply has to deliver! The big man is back, but which England will turn up

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UPDATED:

21:02 GMT, 16 June 2012

He might have been any regular fan, with his short-cropped hair, pale, freckly face and the dark blue England tracksuit top as he jumped from his seat and embraced his neighbour to acknowledge Danny Welbeck's exquisite winning goal.

But the man celebrating with England masseur Rod Thornley – with the Football Association's head of security Ray Whitworth predictably close by – was, of course, the talisman for whom a football nation has been waiting.

Ready to roar: Wayne Rooney is back to face Ukraine in a crunch clash

Wayne Rooney returns to an England team on Tuesday night, starting for his country for the first time since that fateful night in Podgorica, when he was shown a red card for kicking out at Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovic.

The self-indulgent folly had led to his suspension for the opening two games of Euro 2012.

While it is to be hoped that England have progressed beyond the stage where the success or otherwise of a tournament is predicated on the return to the team of one individual – see David Beckham in 2002, Rooney in 2006 for previous examples – there is no denying that with the Manchester United striker, England are a different proposition.

World class: Rooney ready to rumble

'I would suggest he's a world-class player,' said manager Roy Hodgson.

'I'm always wary of giving players
epithets but I think his ability is a bit special. You are lucky as a
manager of a national team to have players of his quality for selection.

'I have been unlucky, I think, not
to have him available, just as I have been unlucky not to have Frank
Lampard available. At least I'm getting one of those two players back
and, hopefully, that makes life a little bit easier for us going into
our next game, where we need another result.'

Unlike his predecessor Fabio Capello, Hodgson has found Rooney to be a happy tourist.

'There is a myth about him,' said Hodgson.

'He's not like a caged animal. He
has been a very, very good professional. His training performances have
been first class and he's been first class around the place.'

Indeed, Rooney has seemed an
altogether happier and much more engaged member of the squad. Even in
the non-football activities, Rooney has shown leadership, asking to be
part of the official party that visited Auschwitz and undoubtedly doing
valuable work for the Holocaust Educational Trust in recording his
thoughts for DVDs that will distributed to schools.

However, as Hodgson acknowledges, he
now has to show that leadership on the pitch. Rooney's record in major
tournaments, since he burst into the world's consciousness at Euro 2004
aged 18 with four goals against Switzerland and Croatia, is lamentable.

He
unluckily broke his metatarsal in the next Euro 2004 game, the
quarter-final against Portugal – which, incidentally, is the only time
England have reached that stage of the European Championship on foreign
soil in a summer tournament format – and since then has played eight
World Cup final games, scoring no goals.

He
managed to get himself sent off at the crucial stage of the quarter-
final in Germany, missed Euro 2008 because his team were not good enough
and was abysmal in South Africa two years ago.

The danger is the expectation for something special on Tuesday becomes
disproportionate, although if he needs inspiration, he need only look
across to his striking counterpart in Andriy Shevchenko.

At 35, the Ukrainian has thrived in carrying the burden of responsibility for his nation. 'This is part of being a top, top player in an important national team,' said Hodgson.

Talisman: Andriy Shevchenko inspires his Ukrainian teammates

'If you're Sweden it's Ibrahimovic, if you're Ukraine, I'm sure it's Shevchenko, if you're England it's about Rooney and Gerrard, if you're France it's about Ribery and Nasri.

'You just get on with it and you trust that these players, who've been putting up with this type of pressure in their lives for a long time, know how to deal with it.'

As it happens, England have had results without him but in a side who struggle to retain the ball, adding another player who can do that should improve England's composure.

Even against the profligate Swedes, England could only manage to obtain 52 per cent of the possession.

Rooney will also offer an intelligence and an ability to rotate his position.

Cheerleader: Rooney was forced to watch from the sidelines against France

Ashley Young did do that, coming in behind Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll on Friday night with Ashley Cole pushing up on the left wing in the first half, which allowed the three attacking players to vary their positions.

Rooney will do it better and offer more.

Not that his return will suddenly transform England into title contenders. He is not Diego Maradona, surely the closest thing to a one-man team that football has witnessed.

But Rooney's ability to spark the unexpected, to deliver a goal from out of the ordinary, will give England added confidence.

As it happens, Welbeck, Walcott and Carroll all did as much against Sweden, leaving Hodgson with a pleasant selection decision to make.

All Hodgson's public comments point to Carroll making way, so Rooney can drop into the deeper lying position and resume his club partnership with Welbeck.

And holding the ball, which Welbeck does better, will be more important against Ukraine.

While Rooney's discipline has improved – he saw just two yellow cards this season with United – it was the combination of his father being arrested over betting scam allegations (he was later cleared), a combustible atmosphere in Montenegro and his frustration with England's inability to keep the ball that led to him being sent off in the first place.

Donetsk is likely to contain the latter two ingredients. It must be hoped that the new, relaxed and positive Rooney has learned his lesson.

England v Ukraine, Tuesday, 7.45pm, Donetsk, ITV1