Wayne Rooney has been left underwhelmed by the current crop of Premier League strikers, and his comments reflect a wider debate about the changing nature of attacking roles in modern football.
With 208 top-flight goals to his name and five Premier League titles on his CV, Wayne Rooney’s reputation is well established.
Back in his playing days, he fit the mould of a bruising, no-nonsense centre forward. But football has moved on from that style.
It’s little wonder, then, that Rooney is not sold on some of the forwards we are seeing now. He has even been critical of certain parts of Erling Haaland’s game.
Consequently, he has identified another striker as his preferred player to observe.
Wayne Rooney praises Jean-Philippe Mateta
Since making a permanent move to Crystal Palace from Mainz in 2022, Jean-Philippe Mateta has been one of the league’s more consistent strikers.
He has racked up 151 appearances and hit 50 goals for the club, with 40 of those coming in the Premier League. But it is not just his scoring that stands out.
Mateta plays a key role in how Palace build their attacks, and Rooney believes his all-round game makes him one of the most effective target men right now.
“I like Mateta. He’s clumsy. He doesn’t look great on the eye, but he occupies defenders,” Rooney said on the latest episode of Rio Meets.
“He makes it a difficult game for defenders to try and deal with him. That allows the other players to come into little spaces. So I like him.”
Most would point to Haaland as the best striker around today, but the Man United legend is not sold just yet. He feels that the Norwegian could add another level if he started throwing his weight around more often.
Crystal Palace should hold on to Jean-Philippe Mateta
During the summer, Rooney suggested that Arsenal could be interested in Mateta, and it is true that several top clubs have been monitoring him closely.
However, he remained at Selhurst Park and has carried his form into the new season, netting four goals in nine games across all competitions.
Mateta is proven in what many consider the toughest league in the world. His combination of strength and finishing ability would make him a valuable asset anywhere.
With Palace already having won two trophies under Oliver Glasner, their chances of adding a third depend heavily on keeping hold of Mateta.
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