Parents are now being advised by sports injury experts to avoid the 拢120-a-pair Nike Total 90 Supremacy boot for their children after Rooney broke one of the metatarsal bones in his foot while playing against Premiership rivals Chelsea.
At the same time, Rooney's injury, and the question mark it puts over his appearance at the World Cup in June, could be a serious spanner in the works of the companies who have sponsored him -- including Coca-Cola and computer games maker EA.
Broadcasters could also be hit by declining television audiences for World Cup games, should the unthinkable happen and England be eliminated from the tournament in the early stages.
England had, prior to Rooney's injury, been seen as one of the favourites, but the picture now is not so certain -- England crashed out against Portugal in Euro 2004 in the quarter finals after Rooney was injured.
A recent survey published by BBDO put Rooney as the third most-valuable footballer in terms of branding, at 拢30m. He trailed behind England captain David Beckham at 拢31m, and the 拢33m Ronaldinho, who is also sponsored by Nike and EA.
Rooney's sponsors have stood by the young player, even after a series of tabloid stories reporting he had used prostitutes, including one who was a grandmother.
The Sun newspaper has been doing its bit to ensure that Rooney is back on his feet for June 9 by encouraging readers to do a special dance based on Native American magic. And Rooney is reported to be sleeping in an oxygen tent over the next few weeks to improve his chances of recovery.
Pic:
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .