Of all the images that come to Wayne Rooney’s mind when he thinks about Brazilian football — the goals of Romário, the phenomenal pace of Ronaldo at the peak of his powers, the jaw-dropping skills of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaká — he was asked yesterday whether, as a new father, he might be tempted to recreate the “rock the baby” celebration coined by Bebeto if he scores for England at the Khalifa International Stadium tomorrow.

“Erm, no,” came the answer, with Rooney adding that he felt that it was “a bit cheesy”. Given that just seconds earlier he had revealed that he has yet to change a nappy since Kai, his son, was born 11 days ago — although he did insist that he was “working on it” — it seemed that a nomination for one of those dad of the year awards, the type usually won by David Beckham or Brad Pitt, was not top of his list of priorities.

No doubt much will be said and written about Rooney’s apparent aversion to nappy-changing, but he is not interested in projecting an image as anything but a fiercely committed footballer for Manchester United and England. Within hours of Kai’s birth last week, he was begging Sir Alex Ferguson to play him from the start of United’s Champions League match against CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford. His wife, Coleen, would have expected nothing less.

“I don’t really feel any different,” Rooney, 24, said. “I’m really proud and that. That’s all, really. Nothing changes for me. I just want to play.”

Rooney’s priority this season, over and above the success he hopes to enjoy with United, is to win the World Cup with England.

As he reminisced about growing up watching the exploits of Romário, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and others, his admiration for Brazil was clear. Not only, he said, are they wonderfully talented, but they are winners — World Cup winners at that.

“I always enjoyed watching them,” he said. “They’re world-class players, they’ve proven that and won World Cups and massive trophies. There’s still a lot I need to win before I can catch up to those players.

“If you want to be known and remembered in world football, I feel you would have to win a World Cup. Obviously there are players like George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo who are geniuses, but personally I feel I have to help England win a World Cup to be considered like that.”

Ronaldo, the Brazilian version, is a particular idol. “I think he was one of the best, if not the best, forward ever,” Rooney said. “When he was at Barcelona, the things he did were incredible.

“He was powerful, strong and tough but he was incredibly skilful as well. That goal when he went clean through, did four step-overs and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way — that was one of the best goals I’ve seen.”

Someone suggested to Rooney that he is a Brazilian-type player. He disagreed. “I don’t think so,” he said. “I certainly don’t look like a Brazilian. Obviously I’m happy if people say I play like a Brazilian, because I love the way they play, but there are other players in the England team who are a lot more skilful than me.”

Such as? “Joe Cole,” Rooney said. “He is more skilful. I never really try ‘skills’. If it happens in a game, it just happens. I don’t really try to be skilful.

“I always think it’s better when the ball comes to you and you do something naturally. You don’t think about it. You just do it. That’s when it works more. Sometimes if you work on stuff, it’s in your mind and you feel you have to do it in a game. Sometimes it won’t come off.”

It is not the first time in recent months that Rooney has played down talk of himself as a world-class player.

Whereas Frank Lampard suggested this week that Rooney is “the most talented guy in our team” and that Dunga, the Brazil coach, would be desperate to have a player of such ability at his disposal, Rooney is more cautious about his standing in the game.

In recent months he has said that this has to be the season when he goes “from someone who could be a great player into someone who is a great player” and has given an unflattering appraisal of his standing in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo, his former United team-mate.

He is, however, one of 30 players on the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or award, including five members of the Brazil squad — Diego, the Juventus playmaker; Luís Fabiano, the Seville forward; Kaká, of Real Madrid; and the Inter Milan duo of Júlio César, the goalkeeper, and Maicon, the right back. These are the emerging talents of Brazilian football, rather than the ones that he grew up watching.

But, even if Ronaldinho has been overlooked and Ronaldo, at 33 and now back in his homeland with Corinthians, is a long shot for the World Cup squad, there is something special about playing against the five-times world champions.

Rooney gets his chance in tomorrow’s friendly in Doha. He added: “This is something I’ve always wanted to do, to play against Brazil. As a football fan, you grow up enjoying watching them play. The players they’ve had over the years have been unbelievable.

“To play against them is something I’m really looking forward to. It’s a great opportunity to test ourselves against the best team in the world. Hopefully we can win it.”

Just do not expect Rooney to follow Bebeto’s example in the 1994 World Cup finals and “rock the baby” if he scores, let alone do something as preconceived as reveal a T-shirt dedicating a goal to Kai. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I score,” he said. “I would just do what I normally do, I suppose — just run off and celebrate.”

Image consultants everywhere will feel that he has missed a trick. But Rooney is what he is. And Ferguson, Fabio Capello and England’s supporters would not have it any other way.