Sidney Sladen
Reports have emerged that Everton are interested in signing Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney after Ronald Koeman admitted that Rooney could make Everton stronger. Rooney has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford and a lot of clubs have been linked with a move for the all-time highest scorer of Manchester United.
Rooney was even linked with a move to China but a lot of experts suggested that he must rather continue playing in England given the kind of talent that he is. Now that Everton manager has openly revealed his admiration for Rooney, it looks like Rooney need not look beyond England after all.
Koeman said on Tuesday: “I believe that Wayne Rooney is still playing at a high level. I think he made a good choice to stay at Manchester United and in the Premier League because he has still two or three years in front of him to play on a high level.”
He continued: “What will happen at the end of the season? I don’t know. But in my opinion, he is one of the players who can make Everton stronger. It’s all about what the player likes… what Manchester United needs to do… and we are not involved in that project. But any player that we at Everton think can make the team stronger is welcome to the club.”
Meanwhile, Everton’s Director of Football added: “Wayne Rooney is one of the greatest players to ever have played the game. For us to not be interested in him would be wrong”
Rooney joined Man Utd in 2004 as a teenager and has established himself as a legend over the years. He has made a total of 549 appearances for United and has scored 250 goals for the club, which makes him the highest ever goal scorer in Manchester United history.
However, his performances in the past few seasons have not been convincing enough and he has exhibited a decline in his form. He has scored 5 goals and has provided 10 assists in 29 appearances this season so far and hasn’t played as much as he’d have liked to.
Now with Everton knocking the door, the move might just be right from Rooney’s perspective. He has achieved everything with United. He has established himself as a legend. He is their all-time highest goal scorer and he has won every possible trophy in his career with Manchester United.
A move to his boyhood club would offer him more playing time and it would satisfy him in what could be his final few years as a football player.
It will be interesting to see if Everton make a concrete approach for the Englishman.
