London: Wayne Rooney took his cue from watching Manchester United predecessor David Beckham with a breath taking 50 yard goal in his side’s 2-0 Premier League victory at West Ham United on Saturday.
Beckham made his name as a United player with a goal from the halfway line against Wimbledon on the opening day of the 1996-97 season and he was in attendance at Upton Park to see Rooney score a long range lob of his own.
With eight minutes on the clock, Rooney outmuscled West Ham defender James Tomkins at the half way mark before looking up and dispatching a looping half-volley that bounced over befuddled goalkeeper Adrian and into the net.
A week ago, manager David Moyes had seen his players humiliated 0-3 at home by Liverpool, but United recovered to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Olympiakos in mid-week to reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
Robin van Persie had been the star that night with a hat-trick, but he was also injured in that game, allowing Rooney to regain top billing with a brace at Upton Park.
It was Rooney’s 212th United goal, taking him above Jack Rowley into third place on the list of the club’s all time leading scorers, behind only Bobby Charlton (249) and Denis Law (237).
United started strongly. Andy Carroll stopped Marouane Fellaini’s header on the line in the third minute after the Belgian had been picked out in the box by Ashley Young and it was not long before Adrian was required to stop a shot from Juan Mata.
