Wayne Rooney deserves a great send-off even though his two decades at the top could have been even better
Entire London Stadium should stand to salute the Everton hero on Sunday when England's record scorer departs the Premier League
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HE should get a great send-off.
After nearly 20 years at the very top, Wayne Rooney deserves to go with dignity.
The London Stadium, home to West Ham, is probably not the setting where Rooney envisaged ending his Premier League career.
Even so, the whole stadium should stand to salute him.
A man who has captained his country, played 119 times for England and is our leading goalscorer on 53 has certainly earned it.
Mere mortals would give anything to be able to look back on a career like that.
Sure, it could have been even better. Rooney, 32, already knows that.
Somebody is always on hand to remind him that he is only eight months younger than Cristiano Ronaldo.
ROO.S.A Wayne Rooney set to complete £12m transfer to DC United and play his final game for Everton
Later this month, at the age of 33, the world player of the year will be playing his third consecutive Champions League final for Real Madrid. Rooney will be readying himself for a new start with DC United.
All things considered, the former Manchester United striker did not do too badly.
He won five Premier League titles and triumphed in the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea.
After making his England debut in 2003, he went on to play — poorly, it has to be said — in the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
To Rooney’s credit, he was the very first to recognise his magical powers were on the wane. His return to Everton last summer, fairytale that it was, has not worked out as well as he had hoped.
United came to a financial settlement with Rooney for the final year of his contract to 2018, making the numbers work so that he could move to Everton.
Moving to MLS with DC United is a respectful, acceptable, way for one of English football’s great players to quietly slip away from the limelight.
In the old days, he would have perhaps dropped down the leagues, getting older and slower, turning out in the colours of a club local to his Cheshire home.
But it would not seem right for Rooney at the tail end of his career.
Moving to America is a fresh start. He wants to play on, to create some more memories in a league where the demands do not compare with the Premier League.
This season there have been flashes of genius, such as the final goal of the hat-trick he scored against West Ham — beating Joe Hart from his own half in November.
Those spell-binding touches made Everton fans want to believe this could turn into a glorious finale. But the magic has come in fits and starts.
He has not scored since December 18, when his penalty sealed a 3-1 victory over Swansea at Goodison Park.
The substitutions are frustrating him and there is little to suggest it would change if Sam Allardyce remains at Everton next season.
Being dragged off every week is no way to finish his career.
Instead, he should get the send-off he deserves from English football this weekend if he is picked to play the final game of the season at West Ham.
And when he walks off at the London Stadium, Rooney should above all be remembered for being a damn good footballer.
Poch in a strop
MAURICIO POCHETTINO’S frosty relationship with Pep Guardiola has been noticed by the League Managers Association ahead of their annual dinner on Tuesday.
Pep will receive the Manager of the Year award for leading Manchester City to the Premier League title.
But Poch has yet to confirm his attendance.
Pep and Poch fell out this season when City’s head coach referred to Tottenham as “The Harry Kane team” after their win at Chelsea in October.
Poch retaliated by claiming Guardiola’s comments were “disrespectful” and “sad”. But the feud goes back to their days coaching in Spain.
The pair fell out when Pep was boss of Barcelona and Poch was on the staff at rivals Espanyol.
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You can't nock his record
NEIL WARNOCK will receive a special award at the League Managers Association dinner for a record eighth promotion.
The Cardiff chief, 69, has taken Scarborough, Notts County (twice), Plymouth, Huddersfield, Sheffield United, QPR and the Bluebirds all up a division with his no-nonsense management style.
Although Warnock has the record for the number of promotions, Dave Bassett’s seven successes — all automatic — has never been honoured.
Swans in dive
THERE was much to be admired about Swansea when they established an attractive style of playing on their way to winning promotion to the Premier League in 2011.
Then-boss Brendan Rodgers loved the “Swanselona” tag and so did their fans, lapping it all up as the Bluebirds went on to finish 11th in the top flight.
On Tuesday, when they lost 1-0 at home by Southampton, Carlos Carvalhal’s side were unrecognisable from the one that many admired for playing the game with panache.
They will be down in the Championship next season, joining the scramble with 23 other clubs to try to win promotion to the top flight.
Sadly for Swansea’s first-class fans, the club have lost their way.