Steven Beck recalls Wayne Rooney's rise to prominence through the Everton ranks
Sunday 8 March 2015 14:33, UK
After Wayne Rooney's double against Sunderland last weekend, Johnny Phillips speaks to Steven Beck, the man who skippered the England captain in Everton's youth team…
Wayne Rooney’s first Premier League goals of 2015 in Manchester United’s win at home to Sunderland this weekend were a timely reminder to his manager Louis Van Gaal that the England talisman’s preferred position is probably his best.
Rooney is in his 30th year now and for so long he has been the go-to option for both United and England.
There, watching from the stands on Saturday, was a man who took the first steps into professional football alongside him in the same stadium only to be cast aside in a cruel twist of fate.
Steven Beck was Rooney’s Everton captain at youth team level and remembers the player’s emergence through the ranks at Goodison Park.
“Playing with Wayne was great. I first saw him as a 14-year-old come in and train with us and you could see straight away that he was something special,” Beck explained.
“Then he played in our youth cup team and without disrespecting any of the other lads we had, Wayne was the one that got us into the final [against Aston Villa in 2001] with some amazing individual performances.
“I played alongside him in his first Everton reserve game against Manchester United at Old Trafford where he was the best player on the pitch by a long way.
“From that moment you knew it was only a matter of weeks before he got the call-up to the first team. When he made his Premier League debut against Arsenal in 2001, it gave the whole country a chance to see a talent that we knew so well already.”
Everton talent
Beck’s story is a hugely different one. He was well thought of by the Everton coaching staff at the time and there were high hopes he would also progress to the first team.
“I agreed a three-year professional deal when I was 16. At the time I was playing for England U17s and I believed I’d make it into the first team at Everton. I just think football is about timing and I don't think the time was right.
“I look at U21 football now and you can put a run of games together and be in the first team. It was a bit more difficult when I played as we had an U19 team and a reserve team, which was full of first team players. The younger kids seemed to fall by the wayside quickly if they didn’t get a chance.
“Our reserve team had several internationals playing every week - the likes of Niclas Alexandersson, Mark Pembridge, Lee Carsley, Alessandro Pistone and Li Tie - so it was difficult. I also had Leon Osman ahead of me in direct competition for my place in midfield and he was always fantastic every week.”
Life changing
Beck was released from Everton in 2003 and, soon after, received some news that would change his life forever.
“After leaving Everton I found out during a routine heart scan that I had a condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy which stopped me playing as a professional footballer, so I ended up playing semi-professional football for a number of years in Australia.
“Then after coming home I stopped playing at 26 because I needed several operations and ended up having a pacemaker inserted.”
So as Beck sat in the stands at Old Trafford last Saturday, watching his old youth team mate, was he tempted to think of what might have been?
“I don't really look back asking questions about that sort of thing, or dwell on the past. I had a chance of being a professional footballer at Everton.
“I represented England at U16s, 17s and 18s and played all around the world so I'm just very grateful I had those opportunities.”
New career
Beck, now 29, counts himself lucky that he has now found a second career that allows him to stay in the game.
“I'm a FIFA licensed agent and have been doing it for about three years now. I am a director of my own company and represent players from Premier League level down to the Conference. I have also been involved in brokering multi-million pound deals in Holland, Russia and here in Britain.
“I enjoy still being involved in football. After stopping playing, it is the next best thing. Going to games, meeting the clubs, managers and all that goes with it makes me feel a part of the profession. I probably get most satisfaction from working with my players and helping them progress in their careers.”
And if there was one word of advice for an up and coming youngster with the world seemingly at his feet?
“Surround yourself with the right people for the right reasons. It’s a profession that can hinge on the slightest of margins.”
