Manchester United vs Everton: Wayne Rooney is a blue-chip club legend, but where is the love?
Everton travel to Old Trafford for Rooney's testimonial this week but there's a lingering question
Wayne Rooney scored for Manchester United against Galatasaray in Sweden last week
Wayne Rooney scored for Manchester United against Galatasaray in Sweden last week
Wayne Rooney will probably become Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorer before his 31st birthday in October and, barring injury, climb to sixth in the club’s appearance charts before Christmas.
Rooney will eclipse Treble-winning defender Denis Irwin with nine more outings for United, then overtake 1968 European Cup-winning full-back Tony Dunne with a further seven appearances before overhauling goalkeeper Alex Stepney when he plays his 20th first-team game for Jose Mourinho this season.
From that point on, only Gary Neville (602 appearances), Bill Foulkes (688), Paul Scholes (718), Sir Bobby Charlton (758) and Ryan Giggs (963) will stand ahead of Rooney in terms of games played for Manchester United -- the United and England captain goes into the new season on 520 appearances.
Rooney’s United CV is majestic, his numbers and medal haul make him a blue-chip club legend, but as he prepares for his testimonial game against Everton at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, it is a valid question to ask, ‘Where is the love?’
There is nothing worth winning that Rooney has not won at least once with United and he could secure his 14th major winners’ medal with the club on Sunday with a victory against Premier League champions Leicester City in the Community Shield at Wembley.
Many United players with fewer medals, goals and appearances than Rooney have earned themselves the affection and love of the Old Trafford crowd, but then none have perhaps taken the club to brink quite like the Liverpudlian who left his boyhood club to become the world’s most expensive teenager by signing for United in August 2004.
Rooney will eclipse Treble-winning defender Denis Irwin with nine more outings for United, then overtake 1968 European Cup-winning full-back Tony Dunne with a further seven appearances before overhauling goalkeeper Alex Stepney when he plays his 20th first-team game for Jose Mourinho this season.
From that point on, only Gary Neville (602 appearances), Bill Foulkes (688), Paul Scholes (718), Sir Bobby Charlton (758) and Ryan Giggs (963) will stand ahead of Rooney in terms of games played for Manchester United -- the United and England captain goes into the new season on 520 appearances.
Rooney’s United CV is majestic, his numbers and medal haul make him a blue-chip club legend, but as he prepares for his testimonial game against Everton at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, it is a valid question to ask, ‘Where is the love?’
There is nothing worth winning that Rooney has not won at least once with United and he could secure his 14th major winners’ medal with the club on Sunday with a victory against Premier League champions Leicester City in the Community Shield at Wembley.
Many United players with fewer medals, goals and appearances than Rooney have earned themselves the affection and love of the Old Trafford crowd, but then none have perhaps taken the club to brink quite like the Liverpudlian who left his boyhood club to become the world’s most expensive teenager by signing for United in August 2004.
