Wayne Rooney Discusses Being Dropped at Manchester United, Title Challenge, More

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has defiantly suggested he has a lot to offer in the future despite his recent marginalisation at Old Trafford. 

Having cemented his place as a key figure for both the Red Devils and England over the last decade, the forward has been dropped to the bench for each team as of late. When asked whether or not he feels as though he needs to lessen his workload, Rooney insisted he can still play a lot of football if needed.

“Not in my mind, maybe in other people's minds but not mine,” the United skipper said when asked if he was now a 25-game a season player, per Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News. “I’m 31 next week, I’ve got a lot of football left. I want to play. I have to try and do my job for the team and wait for my chance and take it when I get it.”

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Rooney’s 31st birthday will be a landmark for him and many football fans. That’s because it will mark almost a decade-and-a-half since the striker burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old at Everton.

During that time, the striker has achieved a lot in the game, winning five league titles and one UEFA Champions League with United and becoming the nation’s all-time top scorer with the Three Lions. However, over the past year, playing so much football seems to have taken its toll on Rooney.

Indeed, Squawka Football noted on Wednesday a special anniversary for the United No. 10, 14 years on from his iconic goal against Arsenal:

The England captain is a different player now. At his best, Rooney played with zest and aggression up top, bullying defenders with his pace and power. Now, as that dynamism has waned, the United man is more considered in his playing style, prompting shifts into a midfield berth at times for club and country.

However, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba drafted in at Old Trafford in the summer, and young players like Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford pushing for starting spots in the England side, Rooney has been bumped down the pecking order.

Even so, the 30-year-old remains ambitious about what can be achieved at Old Trafford this term.

“I think we’ll be challenging this season—we’ve still got that belief, and it is even stronger after working with this manager and the players over the last few months,” he said. “We’ve got a fantastic squad that is ready and capable of challenging.”

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Should United compete for the Premier League title—they are five points back on leaders Manchester City—it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Rooney will play a key role.

Sports journalist Liam Canning doesn’t see the captain nailing down a first-team place at the club again:

Rooney is at a crossroads. In terms of footballing age, you could argue he is older than his soon-to-be 31 years, given the amount of football he’s played. It’s tough to see just how he can recapture the spark he once had during his peak years.

What the best players can do at this point in their careers is make subtle adjustments to their game, drawing on experience and intelligence to offset small physical declines. That may not be beyond Rooney, but it’s not a process that will be expedited by him watching from the sidelines.