Wayne Rooney is a legendary former striker of Manchester United, who scored 253 goals in 559 matches and won 12 major titles. The current head coach of D.C. United understands everything about Manchester United, and his remarks on significant issues such as the Glazer family, Marcus Rashford, and Harry Maguire are worth listening to.
During his successful but tumultuous 13 years at Old Trafford, Rooney gained an insider's perspective on all matters concerning Manchester United. Since 2017, he has observed them from the outside. While there are many issues at the club, Rooney believes that for MU to grow stronger, it needs to put an end to the Glazers' ownership era.
"The Glazer family has been very successful in their acquisition of Manchester United. However, it might be time for the fans to really want a change and move in a new direction. This change would benefit not only the first team but also the academy and the entire club.
I am sure that the Glazers have earned deserved trust for their work, but they have also faced negative reactions from fans who view them as bloodsuckers of Manchester United. This creates conflicts, and it needs to change," the 37-year-old coach started the conversation.
Currently, Manchester United continues to operate normally. Marcus Rashford has signed a new five-year contract, and coach Erik ten Hag is working to strengthen the squad by adding a number 9.
"Rashford is doing well and will be a pillar of Manchester United in the coming years. He had a fantastic season. The challenge for Rashford now is to do that for 5, 6, 7 years and truly create his legacy. I look forward to him breaking his own records."
Besides, Rooney described Harry Kane as an "ideal player" for Manchester United, even though it seems the forward is being held tightly by Tottenham. "I thought Kane would leave in the previous season, but he stayed. Kane wants to leave to seek his first title, but there is something holding him back. Now is the time to leave, and perhaps Kane wants that too, but Tottenham is making it difficult."
When asked if anyone could replace the target of Harry Kane, Rooney immediately highlighted Kylian Mbappe, who would help Manchester United achieve major honors, but it seems Real Madrid might be the new destination for the French forward.
At the other end of the pitch, David de Gea has left, and Harry Maguire has been stripped of his captaincy. Rooney agrees with De Gea's smooth departure despite serving for over a decade and believes it is the "right time" for the Spanish goalkeeper to retire.
He also provided a clear perspective on Maguire's situation, the £80 million defender acquired in 2019. "Stripping him of the captaincy shows that the manager really doesn't trust him. It puts Maguire in a situation to think about his future when he is no longer in the manager's plans. I think Maguire will want to play to fight for his place at the club and the England national team. At best, he should leave."
Rooney hopes that Maguire will come to his club to rejuvenate his career, just like he did with Tom Lawrence at Derby County. Lawrence was appointed captain in 2021, two years after a driving under the influence incident. Rooney is not a perfect person either. He was arrested for drunk driving in 2017 and later for public intoxication and using foul language in public in Washington D.C.
However, overcoming these issues helped him realize the difficulties that people often face in this profession. Over a week ago, "bad boy" Dele Alli opened up about his past experiences of sexual abuse, life on the streets, and painkiller addiction.
Rooney also points out another new addiction among footballers: addiction to phones and tablets. "Sleeping pills are a big problem. But I would feel guilty when assessing him as a player and not understanding the full context and story behind everything.
For young players now, social media is perhaps a new drug. They can do a lot of stupid things on it, and it will affect their lives. They need help to overcome this issue; they need to be as straightforward as Alli."
A very complicated case at Manchester United right now involves Mason Greenwood. The forward is still not included in the squad selection amid an internal investigation after the UK Prosecution Service dropped a lawsuit against him for intentionally engaging in sexual activity, assault, and controlling or coercive behavior.
"It puts Mason Greenwood in a deadlock situation. So, for Mason, the tragedy is not over, and I'm sure he really wants to play football. But for the club, it could affect their image. He's only 22 years old, and he should go somewhere else to seek development," Rooney said.
Rooney's eldest son, Kai, has impressed everyone with his achievements in Manchester United's youth development system. At the age of 13, Kai is only three years behind his father's debut in the first team.
"He's happy with football, and that's the most important thing. He's doing everything he can to pursue a football career, and not just Kai, my other sons as well. They love this sport. As for me, I'll just play a supervisory role so that they won't get into trouble like Mason Greenwood," Rooney smiled.
