Sumptuous virtuosity of Rooney lifts England

European Championship: Everton teenager illuminates first international start with flashes of brilliance that confirm his enormous potential

The ice man is far more secure this morning because, when the pressure was as heavy as he had ever known as a football man, he did something that, on the surface at least, seemed utterly out of character. He committed himself to a red-blooded, out-front, high-risk conviction. It was that in the end football success and failure is shaped not by diamond formations, but diamond talent.

Sven Goran Eriksson spent, we are told, an agonising 24 hours on the question of whether he should risk the still half-formed brilliance of the 17-year-old Wayne Rooney against the World Cup semi-finalists Turkey here last night.

He knew that England's chances of qualifying for next year's European Championship in Portugal, not to mention his own job, were on the line. He knew he risked criticism that in a time of crisis he had thrown the kid into a match of an importance which utterly outstripped anything he had known before. But the Ice Man did it anyway – and now his football world looks entirely different this morning. It is not, of course, suddenly a place brimming with huge possibilities. But it is alive again – without the dead hand of painfully perceptible decline.

Some, no doubt, will caution against making too much of Rooney's first immersion into the rough waters of serious international competition. They will point out the vital goals in the 2-0 win came from a piece of opportunism from Darius Vassell and a penalty kick from David Beckham. They will say that the most pervasive influence was probably the long-striding and suddenly much less enigmatic Steven Gerrard. But if they do, they plainly missed the point at which England looked a team again against a Turkish side which gave the World Cup winners, Brazil, almost too much to handle in the Far East last summer and in the early going last night looked much the sharper and more composed team.

It was in the passage of play which came just before half-time – one which brought the first hint of genuine passion to the Stadium of Light. The point of focus was Wayne Rooney.

Suddenly, he looked much less like an urchin kid with his nose glued to the front window of a glittering restaurant. He looked more like someone who knew where he was and what he needed to do. What it was was to lift proceedings on to an entirely different level.

He ran with overwhelming purpose and the lightest of touches with the ball. He sent out a raking pass to Gerrard on the right, slicing the Turkish defence apart so suddenly that a Michael Owen in his sharpest mode would surely have scored. And, a moment later, Owen had a second chance when another power-laden run by Rooney ended with a sublime little through ball. The crowd yearned for Rooney to take a shot himself, and the chances are that next time he will do that.

For the moment the matter of celebration is that Rooney provided Eriksson with what he most needed as criticism rose to throat level. Rooney was a catalyst, a free-moving natural footballer who underlined the point of those who argued that at four goals in 31 games Emile Heskey's resistance to the claims of the wunderkind, or anyone else on nodding terms with the demands of international competition, had become an absurdity.

That Rooney is here to stay was a reality that the North-East crowd seemed eager to proclaim. When he was replaced by Kieron Dyer, he was cheered from the field. It was a statement of gratitude as warm – and maybe as significant – as any embrace from the previously beleaguered coach.

Rooney had to be thanked for bringing a dimension to England's game so desperately absent from performances running back to the sad and spineless submission to Brazil back in Japan. When he got to the pace of the game, when he grasped that front-rank international players were that little bit tougher and quicker into the tackle, and that if you did not force yourself on such a game, you simply disappeared, Rooney grew before our eyes. He looked as though he was where he belonged, which was to say at the very top of the game. Whatever happens in the future will only add strength to the reality that could not be missed on the night – England were stirred by the force of new life.

ENGLAND MAN FOR MAN

DAVID JAMES (6/10)
A low, weak clearance in the third minute hardly inspired confidence. Failed to hold one shot from Basturk and spilled another. Terrific save from Nihat in 82nd minute

GARY NEVILLE (5/10)
Fazed by the early pace of the Turks' attack, exemplified when wrong-footed by Alpay. Speculative diagonal balls became more assured, as did his general composure.

RIO FERDINAND (6/10)
With England's box often crowded with opponents on short, sharp runs, his early interventions were confused. Settled to give good cover and make goal.

SOL CAMPBELL (6/10)
Nihat said before the match that England might panic. Campbell certainly had a shakiness to his urgency, but thwarted Nihat more than once. Headed wide.

WAYNE BRIDGE (6/10)
Did well to push forward and hook back from the byline under pressure in the 12th minute. Risked leaving gaps with such runs but tracked back well.

DAVID BECKHAM (7/10)
If this was passion, it was raw. Responded to being hacked down early with multiple fouls. But ran tirelessly, often profitably. Touch improved as he calmed.

PAUL SCHOLES (6/10)
Scampered around the centre of midfield, hungry for the ball. Exacting in his eagerness to lay it off perfectly, perhaps too much so. Made probing runs that went unexploited.

NICKY BUTT (5/10)
All the potential to be a diamond ball-winning talent at the back edge of midfield. But his tussles, often crude early on, saw too many fouls, not enough productive balls.

STEVEN GERRARD (7/10)
Seemed lost when he stayed too far out on the left, making poor passes and losing control. Improved considerably as roamed and found his range.

WAYNE ROONEY (7/10)
A strong and skilful, if ultimately unsuccessful, run in the 43rd minute rang with potential. A back-heel, wasted by his captain, said flair. If only he'd had the ball more often.

MICHAEL OWEN (4/10)
The Liverpool striker was the meat in the sandwich – unfortunately it was a sandwich belonging to Turkey, whose defenders crowded him out. His most spectacular moment was a dive just before half-time.

SUBSTITUTES

DARIUS VASSELL (7/10) On for Owen, 57 min
Immediately gave fizz to the home attack. Forced brilliant save from Rustu in 64th minute. Narrowly wide, then scored, in the 75th.

KIERON DYER (5/10) On for Rooney, 89 min
Brought down to win penalty, converted by Beckham.

Assessments by Nick Harris