Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football Podcast, Sam Allardyce has been discussing what it was like to manage Everton and Wayne Rooney.
Allardyce was the Everton boss for half of the 2017/18 season, and that means that he had the honour of coaching Wayne Rooney during his final Premier League season.
The Manchester United legend wasn’t the player he once was upon his return to Everton, but he could still make a real impact.
Allardyce himself admitted that Rooney’s legs had gone, but he made a comparison to the modern-day version of Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that he could still contribute in certain ways.
Rooney was like Ronaldo
Allardyce spoke about managing Rooney.
“My first game for Everton sat in the stands. Against West Ham, he scored from just inside his own half. Unfortunately for everyone, for Everton and for me and himself, he was just the wrong side of 30, he could always make a contribution, but not as much as he used to be able to, it’s a bit like Ronaldo now,” Allardyce said.
Shame
It’s a massive shame that Rooney’s career petered out in this way.
To put it into context, Rooney was only 32 when he joined Everton. That’s several years younger than the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi – three players that are still considered amongst the best in the world.
Rooney, sadly, just didn’t have the longevity that some players are blessed with, but when he was on it, he was one of the best around.
We did see some of his magic upon his return to Everton, but unfortunately for the Toffees, he was a farcry from his peak at that point.
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