Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp reckons that Wayne Rooney is better off leaving Manchester United, as he does not figure in the plans of manager Jose Mourinho. The striker recently broke the club’s all-time goal scoring record. Sir Bobby Charlton held the record of 249 goals for the club in more than 700 appearances. This record stood for 44 years, but it came down after Rooney scored a brilliant free kick in the 1-1 draw against Stoke City during the weekend. Even though the striker claimed that the record was not on his mind, his performances over the season have not been similar to the kind we have come to associate with Rooney.
The record is a huge aspect especially considering that former boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes that it may probably never be broken. And now is a great time for Rooney to leave United, according to Redknapp. The striker has played as a backup to Zlatan Ibrahimovic so far this season. He has even been used by Jose Mourinho in a number of positions, just like previous bosses David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal. Redknapp thinks that Rooney is unlikely to get ahead of Ibrahimovic in the pecking order as long as Mourinho is at the club.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, Redknapp said:
“Mourinho doesn’t see him as a starter. He doesn’t think he is better than Zlatan. Maybe it is time for him to have one more challenge – go somewhere where is wanted and going to be a big player.
“He could go back to his own club Everton. He is an Everton fan. Go back there, finish your career there and take Everton into the Champions League positions.”
“He could go there and turn them into a top four club. He could make the difference.
“He could help these young kids who have come in. Imagine having Rooney back around to help on the park, look after them and teach them the game.”
Rooney has managed 16 league appearances this season, but only eight have come from the start. Even more disappointing is his return of just two league goals compared to 14 by Ibrahimovic.
It looks highly likely that the England striker will join a Chinese club in the near future. There have been a lot of reports about the Chinese Super League keen on making with Rooney as their next big arrival. Rooney has been extremely silent on his Manchester United future, but his contract is running out – in the summer of 2019 – and the indications are that United are not in a hurry to offer him a new deal.
Redknapp even suggested the possibility of Rooney returning to Everton, but it may be highly unlikely to happen given the striker is still 31 and can command a lot of wages, which Everton will struggle to match even with the new investment on-board.
Rooney may be in line to start for United in the EFL Cup semi-final against Hull City. He completed less than one hour of action in the first leg. Instead, he has managed to finish a game only once since December.
