Wayne Rooney could be forgiven for thinking that nothing has gone right for him since he ended his long and frustrating wait to lay his hands on the FA Cup last season.
When the Manchester United captain lifted the famous trophy at Wembley following the 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace last May, he completed his set of domestic honours and claimed the one major honour -- the Europa League having been an irrelevance for the majority of his United career -- that had repeatedly eluded him since arriving at Old Trafford in August 2004.
A month before leading England at Euro 2016, it could have been the launch pad for a glorious summer in France, with the sense of fulfilment at club level enabling Rooney to push for the international success that has been a stranger to every English footballer for more than a half century.