Is Wayne Rooney's $50,000 Hair Transplant Responsible For His Goal-Scoring Binge? (No.)

Wayne Rooney was stressed. He'd had a rotten World Cup. The tabloids were accusing him of cheating on his pregnant wife with a prostitute. And his hair was falling out. So he did something about the hair. Now the sports magi can speculate about whatever tonic explains Rooney's bristling performance this season (five goals in three games). From the Associated Press:

Wayne Rooney is back in explosive form after trying to resolve the stresses in his life.

For one, the Manchester United and England striker concluded his head was just not right. Alarmed by his thinning thatch, Rooney risked ridicule in the offseason by undergoing a $50,000 hair transplant.

And the results - like United's this season - are unequivocal, with those new follicles now covering his scalp.

"I've spent more time in the mirror," Rooney quipped Tuesday at the England team hotel. "I'm sure some of you who are going bald, it's a bit stressful. So I made a decision to get it done. I thought, why not?"

Hair transplant revives stressed-out Wayne Rooney [USA Today]