EPL Preview: Wayne Rooney and Five World Cup Flops With Points to Prove

A new Premier League season can provide a clean slate for players who didn't have a good outing last time they were playing on the big stage. Usually this means that players who've had a bad season get another shot at proving their worth.

This year, the players who really have a point to prove are those who were underperformed at the World Cup.

So, here's a list of five players who will be looking to redeem themselves after forgettable World Cup displays.

Wayne Rooney

One of the World's best players, Wayne Rooney was supposed to lead England to World Cup glory just as he led Manchester United so brilliantly last season, notching up 34 goals.

Unfortunately, his World Cup didn't go quite as well. England won just one match, with Rooney failing to score and looking completely out of form.

At times he didn't even seem capable of controlling the ball as he failed to have any significant impact on England's matches.

Rooney even managed to attack England's fans as he took out his anger on those who had been booing a less than impressive England performance.

Another big season with United would see Rooney overcome any lingering anger towards him due to his unhappy outings in South Africa

Fernando Torres

Fernando Torres, one half of Spain's deadly striker duo, was so uninspiring during the World Cup that by the semi-final, he'd been dropped to the bench.

He may have been carrying the remnants of an injury, but Torres looked completely out of sorts. He never really looked like scoring and an injury in the final, shortly after coming on, finished a disastrous World Cup for Liverpool's goalscoring ace.

The money that clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City were willing to pay for his services suggests that they aren't particularly concerned that Torres didn't fare well in Africa.

Getting back among the goals after suffering an injury riddled season and a disappointing World Cup would certainly show the World that "El Niño"
 still has the ability to perform at the highest level.

Robert Green

Sometimes, a single moment can define a career. This certainly could be the case for Robert Green. A shocking fumble gifted the USA a goal that allowed them to get back on level terms with England.

The mistake would set the tone for the rest of England's campaign. It also saw Rob Green lose his position as England's number one as England's first World Cup match proved to be his last.

Robert Green has failed to make Capello's first post World Cup as he is one of the many casualties to fall due to the poor World Cup showing.

West Ham are so worried about fans attitude towards him that they've been booing him in training to prepare him for the reaction he will get when he plays his first match of the season.

If Green wants to get recalled, as Capello has suggested is possible, he will have to show that he isn't an error prone joke, but a real quality keeper.

Nicholas Anelka

Nicholas Anelka was the man at the heart of the astonishing French fiasco that gripped the World Cup.

A player who is sent home before his team has even been eliminated has probably flopped. When it's the French team that managed just one point, he's definitely failed.

Anelka's actions in the dressing room got him sent home and led to the French team going on strike. He now faces an inquest into the mutiny and has lost his place in the French national side.

While has actions may not have made him unpopular with English crowds, Anelka will have to prove that he can focus on the football and not be disruptive off the pitch if he wants to be taken seriously.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni

A horrendous three-yard miss was the defining moment of the Yak's World Cup campaign. In a must win game against South Korea, Yakubu was presented with the perfect chance to bring Nigeria back on level terms but he managed to miss an open goal when it seemed like all he had to do was kick the ball.

Later in the match Yakubu scored a penalty but it was too little to late as Nigeria bowed out at the group stages. Nigeria's performance led to the President of Nigeria attempting to ban Nigeria from internationals for two years, if Yakubu had scored, that might have been prevented.

It looks like Yakubu will be playing for either Everton or West Ham next season. Either way Yakubu will need to score goals if his team are going to succeed.

When a similar open goal situation arises, will Yakubu show the World that he can, in fact, score from close range?