Wayne Rooney reveals he told Man Utd to sign Idrissa Gueye a month after his Everton return
WAYNE ROONEY claims he urged Manchester United to sign Idrissa Gueye just one month after rejoining Everton.
The former Red Devils and England captain, 34, moved back to his boyhood club in 2017 after an epic 13 years at Old Trafford.
Having spent his final seasons at United playing in a deeper role, Rooney found himself forging a partnership with Gueye at Goodison Park.
And it took the former England captain just one month to see how good his team-mate was.
Indeed, Gueye impressed Rooney so much with his energy and technique that the veteran phoned United to encourage a bid as soon as possible.
However, the Red Devils opted against signing Gueye, now 30, from Everton.
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The Senegalese eventually linked up with French champions Paris Saint-Germain last summer.
Rooney believes Gueye was more than deserving of a transfer to a top European club.
And he reckons it was a missed opportunity for United, who have struggled in the middle of the park for years before landing Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January.
Rooney, now at Derby County, wrote in his column: “Everyone talks about Gueye’s tackling and energy.
“But what surprised me was his quality on the ball.
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“He always looked to play it forward and to your feet.
“After a month playing with him I spoke to people at United saying he was good enough for them.
“I wasn’t shocked when Paris Saint-Germain signed him.”