England novices fear 45 minutes of fame

For some of the young Englishmen who will make their international debuts at the Boleyn Ground tonight, this will be their only 45 minutes of fame. As Gavin McCann, Michael Ball and Michael Ricketts have found, Sven Goran Eriksson can be a man of instant judgements.

For Wayne Rooney, however, England's friendly with Australia will be the most intensive experience yet of what promises to be a lifelong exposure to the public gaze. In picking the 17-year-old Everton striker, who will become England's youngest international debutant, Eriksson has accepted that Rooney's prodigious talent makes it impossible to delay his accession to the world of celebrity.

In an acknowledgement of the burden Rooney will have to shoulder, Eriksson yesterday admitted that their first conversation together was "mainly about life." Eriksson added: "It was not about tactics, but about other things."

Eriksson would not go into details but those "other things" are likely to have included a reminder that there will be less happy times ahead, what is important is how he deals with them. As he has been reminded in the last year, even experienced men in their fifties can make very public mistakes. Eriksson may have added reassurance that as long as Rooney's focus remains on his football bad times can be overcome.

This was the theme picked up by David Beckham, who is as equipped as anyone to advise Rooney. "He's just got to continue enjoying his football," said Beckham. The England captain added: "I wouldn't change anything from the past. I've enjoyed the ups and become a better person, on and off the field, from getting through the downs."

Beckham added that Rooney appeared similar in character to his club team-mate Paul Scholes in that he "seemed a quiet lad off the pitch but comes alive on it". Eriksson hopes to see that he also shares Scholes' ability to turn matches with a telling intervention but, unlike many, his eyes will not be only on Rooney.

Prime among the other novices he will be focusing on are Paul Robinson, Joe Cole and James Beattie. Only the latter is likely to start and, as the contrasting examples of Ricketts and Darius Vassell show, he has to seize his chance.

Ricketts and Vassell made their debuts in Amsterdam last February. Ricketts laboured, Vassell scored. Ricketts disappeared from England view while Vassell went to the World Cup and is a squad regular. In theory, said Eriksson, Beattie ought to be the perfect foil for Michael Owen. "It is normally ideal to have one big strong striker and one with pace but," he said, but he cautioned, "that is on paper, sometimes it is different in reality."

Robinson, having usurped Nigel Martyn at Elland Road, now has a belated chance to prove he is the natural successor to David Seaman. Cole, who is also expected to come on at half-time, is likely to be given the chance to control the game from a position behind the two strikers. On his home ground he could remind everybody that, before Roonaldo-mania erupted, he was "the next big thing".

Both Rooney and Cole will, though, be hamstrung by playing in an inexperienced, makeshift formation. Eriksson again defended his decision to field two teams, the latter a raw one, but admitted the honour of winning England caps had been cheapened. He added: "If I decide to play the best team for just 45 minutes, I think it is more interesting to see a young team out there for the second half than the second team. If that makes if easier to have a cap I am sorry about that."

Depending how many players he fields, and he can use all 27, Eriksson could take the number of players he has used to 55, including 26 debutants, in just 24 internationals.

Given England's half-time dislocation there is a danger Australia will add a first football triumph to their sporting victories over the mother country. They have a decent squad and if they approach the match seriously, Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka could punish Eriksson's gamble. The 15-2 odds available yesterday, though not in Earl's Court, look attractive.

But while losing would be embarrassing, more worrying would be a poor display from England's first string. Eriksson has bemoaned not seeing his players for four months. Frank Farina, Australia's manager, has not seen his since 2001. England will have no excuses if they are behind at half-time.