Rooney to see Liverpool 'shrink' to help in dealing with WC pressure

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has said that he would see Liverpool's psychiatrist, Dr. Steve Peters, in order to help him deal with the pressure of the World Cup as he prepares to go to Brazil with the England squad.

Peters' speech to the England squad had impressed Rooney during their training camp at Vale de Lobo and the forward has held talks with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard about the benefits of working with someone who has also been instrumental in the careers of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton.

According to The Guardian, Rooney admitted that his tournament record has been poor since Euro 2004 and suggested that he might have suffered more from the pressures of being England's key player, saying that one may not feel that pressure, but maybe inside it is there.

Rooney said that their manager Roy Hodgson has brought Peters in for the England squad, adding that the boss has made it clear that the doctor will not be going around players, but if the players want to see him, they can.

The striker said that he would certainly speak to Peters and see if it could benefit him, adding that there is no harm in that because if it can give him an extra couple of percent then it is worth doing.