Forward’s future is a key early test for Manchester United’s new manager, who must not repeat the 2013 Wayne Rooney sagaCristiano Ronaldo in July 2022. Wayne Rooney in July 2013. Two star forwards whose discontent at Manchester United before pre-season tours starting in Thailand must prove bookends to a miserable nine years for the club.This is Erik ten Hag’s mission as he prepares to send out a first XI – against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday – as United’s manager: end a near-decade of mediocrity that began when Sir Alex Ferguson retired after winning the club’s most recent title. Continue reading...
A new documentary on the former England striker highlights a guilt complex which has dogged Rooney throughout his careerWayne Rooney was, by his own admission, never all that interested in school. But one subject intrigued him more than others: religious studies. The young Rooney was raised as a Catholic, attended a local primary called Our Lady and St Swithin’s in Croxteth, said his prayers most evenings and still considers himself a man of devout faith. “Wayne’s recall of stories about the life of Jesus is quite detailed,” read an early school report.In late 2010 Rooney was in turmoil. His frustration at Manchester United had bubbled over into a sensational transfer request. Immediately, however, he was overcome by guilt and self-reproach....
He is in no way qualified but bringing Rooney back to Goodison Park would deliver the rush of authentic emotion we all craveIt was interesting this week to see the fascination on social media with close-up clips of the celebrations after Tottenham’s 3-2 win at Leicester.This stuff is very popular right now. The digital eye has detected a hunger out there, a shared sweet spot for footage of unbound emotion, feelings-porn: players and fans lost in the moment, Antonio Conte baying and leaping and glowering like a bear startled by a hornets’ nest. Continue reading...
There is far more than romance to make the case for Rooney’s Goodison return after the way he has coped in a storm at DerbyThere is a lot of romance in the idea of Wayne Rooney returning to Everton to become manager – and I am in love with the thought – but it makes a lot of business sense, too.After Rafael Benítez’s brief, unhappy spell, the club need to reconnect with the fans, and the appointment of a hero is a good way of going about it. It is fair to say a lot of the fanbase were not enamoured of the appointment of a former Liverpool manager, so going in the opposite direction would be a smart move...
It is the club’s own fault but a transfer embargo and other player regulations mean the Rams can barely field a side let alone compete in the ChampionshipAt least Wayne Rooney was able to see the funny side when, on the eve of the season, a journalist asked whether he breaks games down into chunks of six or eight to target points. “In blocks of one,” Rooney replied, laughing, having already answered questions about the eye-watering sums attached to the Jack Grealish transfer, a world away from Derby’s financial predicament. “At the minute I can’t spend £100 on one player, let alone £100m.”After losing Colin Kazim-Richards to a long-term injury on Saturday, the club successfully applied to the English Football...