Europe in awe as Roomania surges on

Wayne Rooney has a long way to go before he can boast David Beckham's worldwide fame but his sensational Manchester United debut has already cemented his position as a star across Europe.

Rooney's exploits at Euro 2004 won him many fans across the continent. His hat-trick for United in their 6-2 rout of Fenerbahce made huge headlines abroad.

In football-mad Italy, his exploits were splashed on the front page of the top-selling sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport. Its headline roared: "Rooney debut hat-trick - immediate phenomenon."

The report inside added: "Hurricane Wayne was unleashed at Old Trafford. It was a work of art that outclassed all expectations. It was an out-of-this-world performance."

Its website referred to him as "the baby phenomenon" who came up "with three masterpieces".

Norwegian TV showed the game live and drooled over Rooney's display for a full half hour after the game. His goals were shown from all angles and the pundits analysed his performance from start to finish.

The newspaper Adresseavisen referred to him as "the biggest talent ever in English football".

In Germany, the media focused on the astonishing praise from Fenerbahce's German coach Christoph Daum.

The former Stuttgart manager said: "That was an unbelievable debut and this is just the start. He could become the player of the century."

In France, the headline in the dominant L'Equipe sports paper shouted simply: "Hip, Hip Rooney."

In Sweden, the Aftonbladet newspaper said: "It was the King's goal show."

Rooney will struggle to match Beckham's fame outside of football because of the Real Madrid player's showbiz lifestyle which is always going to attract attention.

But with United's popularity around the world - especially in Asia - Rooney has the potential to become a household name among sports fans across the globe in the next six months.