Ronald Koeman hinted he would be open to bringing Wayne Rooney back to Everton.
Wayne Rooney in action for Everton during Duncan Ferguson’s testimonial
On Friday, Everton manager Ronald Koeman was quoted by BBC Sport as saying that he would be very pleased to take Wayne Rooney back to Goodison Park one day.
Rooney, 31, has endured a dismal start to the season with just one goal in 12 games, whilst he was even dropped by England for their recent game against Slovenia as both club and country look towards life after their captain.
Wayne Rooney in action for Everton
Some United fans want to see Rooney sold, believing that he is past his best, but the question has always been over who would want to sign him, given that he’s over 30 and on huge wages.
One obvious destination for Rooney is former club Everton, where the attacker burst onto scene with that famous goal against Arsenal back in October 2002, scoring a long-range strike at the age of just 16 to announce himself on the big stage.
Rooney hit 17 goals in 77 games for Everton, and less than two years after his debut for the Toffees, he was sold to Manchester United for a massive £27m (BBC Sport).
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney
With 246 goals in 532 games for United as well as five Premier League titles and a Champions League title to his name, Rooney has more than repaid that fee during his time at Old Trafford – but there’s a sense his time at United is coming to an end.
Given that Everton have funds thanks to Farhad Moshiri, manager Ronald Koeman was asked about a possible Merseyside return for Rooney – and the Dutchman told BBC Sport that he would be open to such a move if it materialised.
“He is a great player, and he has still not finished his career,” said Koeman. “I do not know how his situation is, and I need to respect that situation. That’s not my problem. But even when we get one time the possibility that Rooney is an option for Everton, I’m very pleased,” he added.
England’s Wayne Rooney
After Koeman’s comments, Everton fans unsurprisingly took to Twitter to discuss a potential move for Rooney, with some divided opinions.
Many would love to see Rooney return to where it all began, suggesting that he would add real quality to the Everton attack – but others thing that there is better value for money out there, and Everton are best left with the memories of Rooney rather than re-signing him.
Here are some of the reactions from Everton fans after Koeman’s comments on Rooney…
Would you like to see Everton re-sign Wayne Rooney?
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