He’s Manchester United captain, he’s England captain, but why is there such a fuss about Wayne Rooney at the minute? Well those roles make look impressive, but Wayne Rooney has been no way near the forefront for either of those teams. He is on the bench most of the time at Old Trafford, with the 31-year-old an unused substitute in the 3-2 win over Southampton in the EFL Cup Final last weekend, their biggest game of the season so far.
Rooney has 180 Premier League goals to his name, he is Manchester United’s and England’s record goal scorer but he needs to be getting closer to the goal.
This has been corrected under Jose Mourinho at United, but you feel Rooney will never come close to the goal-scoring heights he did in his hay-day. The striker turned midfielder hasn’t recorded 20 goals in a season since 2011-12, where he found the net 34 times. So what is next for the 119-time capped England man, and where he will he be next season?
Remain at Manchester United
It seems unlikely for him stay, but we have seen in flashes this season what Wayne Rooney still offers. He rescued a point for his side at Stoke back in January, with his late free-kick making him United’s all-time record goal scorer. A long-range effort against Galatasaray was superb, plus he can cover a range of positions.
Whether it be central, attacking or wide midfielder, up front or even as a holding player, Rooney can do it all, and that is a big reason why Mourinho wants to keep him. With United still in all competitions after their EFL Cup win, his squad will be pushed to the limit, and it will be the same next season. There’s a lack of high experience at United with only Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia and Bastian Schweinsteiger the only other outfielders above 30, three of which could be leaving at the end of the season.
Return to Everton
It’s where he made his name, it’s in his hometown and after a period of serious grief, Everton fans have forgiven Rooney in leaving for Manchester. He was given a warm reception when wearing blue at Goodison Park during Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial in August 2015, and manager Ronald Koeman is keen on brining Rooney back home.
With United winning the EFL Cup, a Europa League spot will open up, meaning Everton will more than likely return to Europe next season. They will need a player of Rooney’s experience and versatility if they are to be successful on all fronts, especially with Romelu Lukaku and Gareth Barry likely to leave the club.
Head to China
It would be sad for a player of Rooney’s reputation to head to the Chinese Super League, but with so much money out there, it could be too hard to turn down. With the man just six caps behind Peter Shilton as England’s most capped player of all time, it’s the last record he can knock off, and you could see him waving goodbye to his international career after that and heading to China.
But, Rooney is a competitive man, and heading to China would be a serious step down, despite the likes of Carlos Tevez, Hulk and Oscar being there.
Anywhere else?
It looks as if it will be Everton or China for Rooney come the summer, but is there anywhere else he could go? He undoubtedly has the ability to still play in the Premier League, but his current £260,000 wages will scare off a lot of clubs. If anyone is willing to fork out at least £100,000, they could tempt Rooney enough to stay.
The MLS has been a popular destination for Premier League players in the past, with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard the most recent recruits. With the MLS now focussing on players in their prime rather than the old timers, it could be tricky for Rooney, but the 31-year-old may be worth taking a punt on for a season.
The final option: take a fairy-tale move to a big club in Europe. If Rooney once to move away from Old Trafford and still compete for league titles, going to France, Germany, Italy or Spain could be the answer.
