One wonders where Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United career would have taken him had the Premier League giants’ all-time record goalscorer been born a decade later?
Would Rooney have won quite so many trophies and scored quite so many goals had his emergence coincided with the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era? Would we now be talking about the former England captain in such adoring tones? Or instead with a wistful wonder of what might have been?
We say this because it feels appropriate, in some ways, to compare Rooney’s time at Manchester United and Marcus Rashford‘s own.
While Rooney obviously benefitted from learning his trade in an experience dressing room chockfull of leaders – and under the most iconic manager in British football history – Rashford’s story has been one of inconsistency, both of performance but also of environment.
While Rooney spent the first nine years of his United career under Ferguson, Erik ten Hag is the seventh different manager – interim or full-time – Rashford has worked with since his breakthrough under Louis van Gaal back in 2015/16.
And, with United’s current ‘number ten’ reaching something of a crossroads in his Red Devils career, a man who wore the same shirt in happier times at Old Trafford cannot help but wonder what the future might hold.
Wayne Rooney shares Marcus Rashford concerns
“We all know Marcus has got the ability, the capabilities, to play at the top level,” Rooney begins, speaking to Sky Sports (15 May, 10pm).
“I just wonder, is it time for Marcus to go elsewhere? I want him to stay. I want him to break records at this club.
“But he has to get his head down and work harder.”
Going from 30 goals last season to eight this, Rashford has certainly come in for his share of criticism over recent months. But, again, some context is required.
In 2022/23 – when Rashford became the first United player since Robin van Persie to break the 30-goal mark – the Carrington graduate found himself freed up by the unselfishness of Wout Weghorst and those overlapping Luke Shaw runs.
United, this season, have operated without a natural left-back all throughout the campaign, while Rashford is yet to strike up the same understanding with Rasmus Hojlund as he had with a more ‘facilitator’ type centre-forward in Weghorst.
Manchester United legend wants big ‘clear-out’
Now, Rooney may be uncertain about whether Rashford should play a key part in the attempted Ineos rebuild, but the United legend is certainly a lot more forthcoming when asked about some of the other members of an underachieving squad.
“You have to built (the team) around Bruno (Fernandes),” Rooney argues. “He’s the one player with quality. He’s got fight in him. (Keep) the young players, and then all the other ones get rid of them
“There has to be a massive clear-out. There has to be. It’s not going to be in one year but over the next few years.”
For Rooney, Diogo Dalot and Harry Maguire may fall into that category of ‘good’ but not quite good enough.
“(Andre) Onana, I think, he’s got better,” the former skipper adds. “For me, Dalot has done well. Maguire had an in-and-out season.
“To compete with Man City, with Liverpool, with Arsenal, they need better. Don’t get me wrong these players are good players.
“But they need better players.”
