Wayne Rooney: Man Utd striker turns down Chinese Super League move but he’s running out of time at Old Trafford
Red Devils skipper has revealed he will not be moving to the Far East this month but he may not have a choice this summer
THE fact Wayne Rooney put out a statement yesterday told you something was up.
If there was no question of him going to China, then what was the need?
Why, in fact, was his long-time adviser and agent Paul Stretford there?
Perhaps there were just not enough millions on the table in the Far East.
Now Rooney has told the world he wants to stay at Manchester United.
But the point is that United no longer need Rooney. It sounds harsh — but that is just how it is.
Questions about Rooney’s fitness have become an irrelevance for manager Jose Mourinho. He gets irritated by them.
The fact Henrikh Mkhitaryan had a hamstring problem was of much more importance to United fans on the Flybe flight that swerved in to Manchester on the winds yesterday.
Rooney’s agent Stretford, in the meantime, was returning from China.
A deal ahead of Tuesday’s Super League transfer deadline not done.
Shame. The cash cow is quickly losing its milk.
Rooney has started just one of the last ten games and United have not lost any of them.
While they can do without him now, that should not denigrate his achievements for the club.
His fabulous free-kick last month at Stoke reminded us of what magic is in those boots.
It was his 250th goal for Manchester United. He finally surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s scoring record, which had stood for over four decades.
Nobody will ever top that.
Have a look on YouTube at Wayne Rooney’s top ten goals and remind yourself of what a brilliant, explosive player he was.
The problem is he cannot go on — like Ryan Giggs and Zlatan Ibrahimovic — into his mid-to-late 30s.
But even if Rooney, 31, did not kick a football again, his achievements should not be diminished.
Five Premier League titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and one Champions League.
Behind the scenes, he was also an inspiration to United’s young players.
With the media he remains a breath of fresh air — compared to others who have achieved little in comparison and throw their noses up arrogantly when asked for a simple quote.
But Rooney no longer fits into United’s first team.
Up front, Ibrahimovic is doing the business. As a No 10, Mkhitaryan or Juan Mata are better options.
Out wide, it is either Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford.
Former Old Trafford boss Louis van Gaal even tried to find a deep-lying role for Rooney.
But now United have Paul Pogba, Ander Herrera or the rejuvenated Marouane Fellaini.
One theory was that Rooney could play some part in the EFL Cup final against Southampton at Wembley this Sunday as a farewell.
Brought on with silverware already in the bag — the perfect farewell.
Any move to China or the MLS now looks like it will have to wait until the summer. But another club will not get the real Rooney. That player went some time ago.
Sir Alex Ferguson always knew when he had the best out of his employees.
It was why Ruud van Nistelrooy, Roy Keane and Jaap Stam all left when it seemed they had much more to give.
One of Fergie’s final acts was to try to ease Rooney out of the door. We thought it was personal.
But Fergie always put United first — and for him Rooney was no longer the first name on the teamsheet. He is not for Mourinho either. There is a theory Mourinho played Rooney at the start of the season to show he was no longer good enough.
If that was the case, then he was proved right.
No matter what statements Rooney’s well-oiled PR machine come out with, they are talking about a very different player to five or ten years ago.
Yes, he wants to stay. But, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter now.