Wayne Rooney is suffering his third similar foot injury and his is not on his own England team-mates David Beckham and Gary Neville have also suffered similar injuries. While it is common place today, it is an injury that did not used to exist years ago, even though the players had to endure tougher challenges, were not as fit and kicked a ball that is a far cry from that used today.

So what has changed? The first main change that most people point to is the technology in the footwear. That’s right they are blaming the Boots, boots that manufacturers spend millions on research and development to ensure they are fit for purpose before they bring them to market. In recent years boots have been developed to make them lighter so players can run and turn faster. They have been made thinner to give players more ‘feel’ and control of the ball. Some even have rubber on the kicking surface to add more power and swerve. All of these innovations while brilliant for the things they improve forget one thing, that boots are not just there as an aid to mobility or striking the ball; they are the first line of protection in a tackle for players who are worth tens of millions of pounds. Players who cost clubs hundreds of thousands of pounds or Euros every week in wages if they play or if they are on the treatment table. Some ex-professionals are beginning to question the protection modern boots offer, especially when there are so many injuries of a similar nature occurring in the game. The level of contact in many cases is negligible, as was the case with Rooney and Duberry on Sunday.

However it can not be just the equipment, lots of other factors have changed over the years too. More importantly it is not just feet and toes that get broken in the modern game. Larsson, Busst and Cisse have all smashed much thicker leg bones. Players are now super fit, training to levels that even players who played ten years ago find difficult to comprehend.

Another massive factor is the nutritional aspect of the game. Gone are the days when players would ‘eat all the pies’ or drink in the pub with the fans after a game. The nutritional revolution is a relatively modern phenomenon where each portion at meal time during the season is carefully monitored to enhance the performance of the athlete. While Rooney may look a little overfed at times perhaps for a man of his build he is missing the nutrients that his body needs or had become used to as he grew up. Like most kids he would have grown up with the ad for milk where we were encouraged to drink more or play for Accrington Stanley. Maybe he should drink more and then he could play for Manchester United or the ad should have said drink more or being in the treatment room.

The sad truth is it doesn’t matter if it is the boot technology, the nutrition or even just the modern game. Football is all too often void of its major talents through injury serious or niggling. Governing bodies, clubs and manufacturers should be looking to see what they can do to reduce injuries where possible, even if that means slightly less ‘fit’ players or less technologically advanced equipment. Surely the game would be better with a less athletic Wayne Rooney, in more protective boots than not have home for long periods of the season.