Rooney has previously admitted to following Celtic from childhood.
Rooney scores for England at Celtic’s Parkhead ground
The odds on Wayne Rooney’s next club make for interesting reading. Liverpool and Sunderland both feature with Sky Bet, as do Salford City – albeit at 100/1. Strangely, though, the club which the striker claims to have followed since childhood (apart from Everton) do not.
In an interview with Celtic’s official website in 2014, Rooney proclaimed: “My family and I have always followed Celtic, since I was a boy anyway, so my kids have all got Celtic kits and I always look out for the scores.
“I got asked about coming here but I’m concentrating on Manchester United and England at the moment.”
Sub Rooney warms up
Two years on, it appears that Rooney’s focus may not be on either of those for much longer, with United boss Jose Mourinho reportedly instructing him to find another club if he wants to play regular football.
And Rooney does not seem the type to sit patiently, and pointlessly, on the sidelines.
Besides Everton, Celtic are likely to be – sentimentally, at least – Rooney’s club of choice were he to call time on a 12-year United career, and the Bhoys could be his perfect fit.
Though Celtic’s striking options are undoubtedly the best in Scotland, it is perhaps naive to think that – on current form – the club can hang on to Moussa Dembele for much longer than the end of the current campaign. Any sale, however, is likely to be a record for a club north of the border – potentially funding a reasonable amount of Rooney’s mammoth wage.
Dembele is said to have caught the eye of a number of clubs this season
Another season of Champions League football could also work in Celtic’s favour – financially, too – while the slower pace of Scottish football would arguably suit Rooney better than anywhere after reaching his twilight years.
Plus, there’s the likelihood of adding another trophy or two, meaning that Rooney could sign off in style – without breaking United or Everton hearts.
And where better to do that than Parkhead, the home of his other beloved club.
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