Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is drawing interest from his boyhood club Everton after falling out of favour at Old Trafford.
The United forward has been a heroic figure over the past 10 years for the red devils, but a decline in form has seen him drop to Jose Mourinho’s substitutes bench and Rooney is now finding minutes on the pitch hard to come by.
The Toffees are well known to be close to Rooney’s heart having grown up on Merseyside, and boss Ronald Koeman has stated that he would be “pleased” to bring the England captain back to Goodison Park.
He said: “I do not know how the situation is, and I need to respect that situation. But even when we get one time the possibility that Rooney is an option for Everton, I’m very pleased.”
Back to where it all began?
Rooney signed for Everton as a schoolboy and impressed as a youngster, which saw him move to United in 2004 for £27 million.
He scored a hat trick on his debut for the red devils in a Champions League tie with Fenerbahce and became one of United’s most talismanic players over the last decade.
But with United very much in their post Sir Alex Ferguson era battling for success, Rooney, now 31, has become surplus to requirements with the red devils requiring more quality and pace in their front line.
Good or a bad move?
If Rooney does somehow end up back at Goodison Park, his wage demands could be a stumbling block on the deal, of course the transfer would have a romantic feel about it, but it could also have a shade of regret and sadness if he does not bow out at Old Trafford on a high.
He is just three goals shy of equalling Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time top goal scoring record at the club, and if he doesn’t match nor surpass it then his time at Old Trafford could be well overshadowed.
The striker has netted just once so far this season, having played in a range of positions, often coming off of the bench as a substitute of late.