WAYNE ROONEY’S moment of madness should provide Steven Gerrard with an opportunity to shine for England next summer.

It’s difficult to know whether Rooney’s red card was related to what was happening with his father and uncle back home.

But people sometimes don’t understand the pressure players go through. The pressure of playing alone is enough, particularly for your country, where the slightest mistake is magnified.

Throw in his off-field concerns, and it must have messed with Rooney’s brain. As a player, he wouldn’t have been thinking about it at that instance, but it may have affected his overall mood.

You could tell Rooney knew straight away he was going to be sent off, and because of that he walked off without making a fuss. That response means I don’t think his one-game ban will be extended.

But he’ll miss at least the first match of the Euro 2012 finals and, with that in mind, Fabio Capello has already stated he will leave Rooney out of warm-up games to the tournament.

That way is open, then, for Gerrard to make his mark.

The Liverpool man is perhaps the only other player in the England squad who can play behind the front man with any great success.

There aren’t many true number 10s at Capello’s disposal. Frank Lampard doesn’t play in that position, and not only is Jack Wilshere a more defensive midfielder, he isn’t going to be playing in the next four or five months anyway.

If Capello goes with a 4-2-3-1, as I suspect he will, then it is ready-made for Gerrard to step in. He won’t have to worry about tracking back, or coming in from the left wing or the right.