Although he didn't explicitly state anything, Jose Mourinho's admission
that Wayne Rooney may not be a Manchester United player next season
appeared to sound the death knell for the striker.
At
31, Rooney is approaching the winter years of his career and
speculation continues to mount that United and England's all-time record
goal-scorer will seek new employers at the end of the season.
While it will be
difficult for some fans to see such an influential player over the last
decade depart, Rooney leaving makes perfect sense for him, the club and
the supporters as a whole.
Here's five reasons why.
5. Chance to Write New Chapter in His Illustrious Career
Like
Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard before him, Rooney is at a point in
his career in which he has had to accept a reduced role at a club he
helped lead for an extended period of time.
After 13-years at Old
Trafford, Rooney has won everything there is to win and it would be
entirely understandable for the former Everton man to feel as though a
change in scenery may bring about a change in fortunes.
With arguably five or
six years still to offer at a high level, Rooney has the chance to
reinvent himself and acclimatise to a different culture, he and his
family may find very appealing.
4. Rid Himself of the British Media Circus
When
Rooney was pictured looking worse for wear in the early hours of the
morning at The Grove hotel during an international break, it felt like a
line was drawn.
The tabloid reaction to
the pictures was unsurprisingly ludicrous, and it felt as though such an
unsavoury episode may further fuel Rooney's desire to get the hell out
of this country.
And that's fair enough.
For over a decade, Rooney has endured almost Beckham-esque attention on
his professional and private life, and it would be unreasonable to
question an eagerness to escape such scrutiny.
That's not to say he
wouldn't receive a great deal of attention elsewhere. He's a global
sporting star, of course he will, but cameras being shoved in his face
as he's set to embark on a new chapter in his career as opposed to
thinking about warming Mourinho's bench again.
3. He Has Arguably Nothing More to Achieve at United
Rooney's
stoppage-time free-kick against Stoke City in January was not only a
rare ray of light in a season of much darkness for the striker, it was
also record-breaking.
In surpassing Sir Bobby
Charlton's long-time goal-scoring record at United, it felt as though
Rooney reached the finishing line.
He's won the league
several times, won the Champions League and led the line admirably for
over a decade, so it certainly feels like an appropriate time to
definitively close the book.
2. He Clearly Doesn't Figure in Mourinho's Plans
The
ball is clearly in Rooney's court. If he wants to leave, Mourinho isn't
going to make any effort to stop him. The former Chelsea boss is
building a title-worthy team at Old Trafford and, unfortunately for
Rooney, that doesn't include him.
The brilliance of Zlatan
Ibrahimovic coupled with Marcus Rashford's meteoric rise means there is
little for Rooney to offer United's attack, so Mourinho's gradual
phasing out of the club captain has been quite shrewd, if you think
about it.
The situation is likely
to ease up for Rooney, too, with his manager expected to spend lavishly
on attacking reinforcements in the summer transfer window once again,
only pushing him further down the pecking order.
1. He's Not Good Enough
Although
Rooney has never been a paragon of physical fitness, the striker still
used to possess excellent pace. He's lost that now, it's unavoidable.
When Rooney comes off
the bench, it's easy to see him finding it difficult to settle into a
rhythm. With his pace blunted and first touch not as sharp as it used to
be, opposing defenders no longer fear him - and have no trouble getting
the ball off him.
It's easy to forget that
Rooney broke through at 17, but playing regularly throughout the
proceeding fourteen years - as well as spending his fair share of time
on the treatment table - his body is showing signs of wear and tear.
With that diminished, it's time to ply his trade in a league with less intensity.
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