Football Boots News - Hands on at the Official Launch of the Nike T90 Laser III
SoccerBible once again takes you into the heart of the football gear industry with behind the scenes VIP access to the official launch of the Nike T90 Laser III football boots!
SoccerBible regulars will be familiar with our behind the scenes reports, as we've already been lucky enough to speak to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Superfly Launch, and Cesc Fabregas when the CTR360 was rolled out last year. Our friends at Nike always put on a great show, and we were invited to Manchester to experience the latest release from the Nike stable, the T90 Laser III!
Four goal hero Wayne Rooney was on hand to answer the questions, posed to the United star by Nike's Charlie Brooks. Check out what Rooney had to say about the football boots, the love of the game, his club and World Cup...
Charlie Brooks: Welcome Wayne. You ve done a few different films and adverts now - do you enjoy doing them? Do you get into it?
Wayne Rooney: Yes, I do. It's something different to playing football and to be honest, that s probably the one I ve enjoyed most. Normally when you go, there s a lot more acting or stuff to do, but there, it was just going and kicking the ball so I really enjoyed it.
CB: Was that one quite difficult, because there are so many special effects to consider? You re striking the ball in an empty room and then they re laying it all on - it must be quite hard to imagine how it s going to end up?
WR: Yes it is! They explain how they re expecting the final ad to look, but I can t see it at the time. Then, obviously, they have people who add all of the effects afterwards, but it was good fun and I enjoyed it. I think it looks great on TV too.
CB: You ve been wearing the new Total 90 boots for a few weeks now, designed for total accuracy and for players like yourself - how have you found them? What have the benefits been for you?
WR: They ve been great and I think it s very important you get your footwear right. For me personally, they re as good as they can be because they re so comfortable and they protect my feet, and yes, I think they really help me hit the ball well.
CB: A couple of years ago you went out to the Sports Research Lab at Nike s HQ. What sort of things did you have to do? What were they taking you through in the lab?
WR: They showed me different types of boots and different designs and asked what I thought on the ideas they were planning. Obviously I gave my feedback on what I thought was the best and they ve put it into the boot you see here today, and I like how it s come out, so it s always nice to be involved.
CB: Do you think it s good that you really get a say in what Nike are creating for you?
WR: Yes, I think it s brilliant. Growing up, you always wore boots that you saw your favourite players wearing, and to actually have input in that process… it was a privilege for me to do that.
CB: With Nike Football Plus we offer where people can download training drills or signature moves by key players. Are there any players you remember copying when you were a kid?
WR: I've always said Michael Owen after his goal against Argentina. That was an amazing move and obviously, I play with him now, so that s pretty cool as well.
CB: What sort of shooting and accuracy drills do you do? Do you do that on your own or with the team?
WR: I train with the whole team and then, at the end of the sessions, go and practise on my own and try to work on my finishing; scoring goals. They re all different really. There s power, curling, placement; different types of shot which you ll need in a game.
CB: I've heard it said yours is the most powerful shot at United - is that true?!
WR: We tested it a couple of years ago and I think it was up there. It was me and Scholesy, so it d probably be about the same again now I reckon.
CB: At your level of success in football, there s a lot of training and hard work that goes into it. Are there key moments you look back on in your career as that was the moment that helped launch me to where I am now ?
WR: Probably Colin Harvey, when I was about 15. He took me into his office and sat me down and he spoke to me for a while on my own. He told me that he believed in me and explained what ability I had and also what I needed to work on, and after speaking to him that day it really made me think about becoming a professional footballer. And to this day, I still go back to that moment and think of the things he said.
CB: When you exploded onto the scene, people really talked about your mental attitude and your strength and commitment. Now you re more experienced but you still seem to have that drive and energy in every game - where does that come from?
WR: I hate losing and sometimes you re tired, but the fact that you don t want to lose… it gives you an extra determination to get to the next ball or to work harder. I think it s how I ve been brought up. My mum and dad taught me to never give up and be as strong as I can at everything, so that s what I try to do.
CB: You never played with David Beckham when he was at United but he s going to be coming back to Old Trafford in the Champion s League. What sort of reception do you think he ll get and what will it be like playing against him?
WR: I hope he gets a brilliant reception because what he did for Manchester United over the years was amazing, so I m sure he ll get a great cheer. And yes, it will be nice to play against him. I played against him once or twice for Everton but it will be good to play against him in a big game.
CB: With the upcoming game against Milan, what do you feel about the Milan side? Who are the key players there that you respect or you look forward to playing against?
WR: Seedorf for me, is probably the best player I ve played against. When we played them at the San Siro three years ago, he was unbelievable. Then there s Pirlo, and Becks. They ve got some great players so we need to be at our best to beat them.
CB: I know you ve appeared with Ronaldinho in a lot of Nike ads, but playing against him when he s on form - he s a special player as well.
WR: Yes, he is. I think he s unbelievable too. I saw somewhere that he got Player of the Decade recently, so that reinforces how much of a talent he is. They ve got a few players who can score goals from set pieces and free kicks, so we ll have to be aware of that.
CB: Moving on to England, as a team England seemed to really ease through the World Cup qualifiers, which was fantastic. Is there a renewed sense of belief in the squad since the arrival of Fabio Capello? What does he do differently to other managers?
WR: He's scary (laughs). I think, basically, he s come in and he s no nonsense. Everything you do is monitored. He ll make you watch the training session if the training s not good enough, and show you where you should be better. He s definitely made us more on our toes and, I think, because of that, we ve shown that we ve become a better team.
CB: Has it been an extra incentive, having missed out on Euro 2008 - and I ve seen other players talk about you having to watch the tournament from home - to get to the World Cup and do well?
WR: Of course. With a country like ours, we should be qualifying for every tournament, so it was a real disappointment that we never went. Thankfully we did well in the group stages and qualified, so we ve got a few games now to prepare properly for the World Cup and hopefully we ll do well in them.
CB: Which players do you think will really stand out at the World Cup, whether for England or for other teams? Who are the players you re looking forward to seeing and playing against?
WR: Obviously Messi, Ronaldo and Kaka; they re all great players so I m sure they ll have a big say in the World Cup. And yes, we ll have to beat the best teams to win it, so it ll be great to play against them.
CB: You ve scored some great goals for England - which was the most memorable for you, and why?
WR: Probably against Croatia in Euro 2004, I d say. I always like watching my second goal… it was a really nice move. I played a one-two with Michael Owen in our own half, sprinted past the defenders to the edge of the box and finished it off. But I always remember thinking, after the goal had gone in, that it felt like a special goal.
CB: Finally, back to the boots. It s all about accuracy and the need for more accuracy. What would be your tip to kids out there who want to be the next Wayne Rooney on how they improve themselves and how they can potentially get to where you ve got to in the game?
WR: Practice. People don't realise how hard it is to practise every day trying to get yourself better. It s tough to do but if you want to get the rewards, then you have to put the effort in. The best players always practice something until they ve mastered it, and practice even more to try and get better still, and that s what I ve done since as far back as I can remember. I played football every single day and I m lucky that it's something I really enjoy and love doing.
