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Wayne Rooney Gives Advice to Aaron Wan-Bissaka Amid United Transfer Rumours
June 27, 2019
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has told Aaron Wan-Bissaka to "enjoy" his time at Old Trafford ahead of his transfer from Crystal Palace.
The defender is set to sign for the Red Devils in a deal worth £50 million, per BBC Sport's David Ornstein. As part of the transfer, Wan-Bissaka will reportedly sign a contract worth £80,000 per week, which is a significant increase on the £10,000 weekly salary he takes home with the Eagles.
Rooney, who moved to United in 2004 as an 18-year-old, was asked about the deal and offered some words of advice to the youngster ahead of the switch, per Sean Kearns of Metro.
"Enjoy it," said the DC United star. "Play with no fear. Manchester United's a fantastic club. One of, if not the best football club in the world. You have to embrace it, embrace the culture of United. Learn the history and do your best. I'm sure he'll be fine. The coaches there will be telling him all of this."
Here's more of what Rooney had to say:
Rooney scored a hat-trick on his debut and went on to become the club's all-time record goalscorer. In 13 years with the club, he won the UEFA Champions League, five Premier League titles and one FA Cup.
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While the 33-year-old is past his peak, in Major League Soccer he's still thriving. Rooney spoke about Wan-Bissaka after he scored an incredible winning goal in DC United's 1-0 win over Orlando City on Wednesday:
For Wan-Bissaka, the move to Manchester may be a culture shock, as his ability will be subject to intensified scrutiny following such a high-profile switch.
There will be pressure on all the United players to perform in 2019-20. The team staggered to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League last term, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeing the momentum drift away from his team following a bright start to his tenure. Fourteen victories in seventeen games was followed by two wins from their final 12.
However, the signs are that Wan-Bissaka will be a hit at Old Trafford. After being introduced into the Palace first team late in 2017-18, he took to life in the Premier League with ease; in 2018/19, he established himself as one of the best full-backs in the division.
Scouted Football summed up how varied Wan-Bissaka's game is:
At United, he will be tasked with marrying his defensive quality with more of an attacking threat given the Red Devils will have the majority of possession in most of their top-flight matches.
As Rooney noted, the players who embrace life at Old Trafford tend to thrive, and it will be intriguing to see whether Wan-Bissaka can do so in his first season at the club. Regardless, at the age of 21, the talented defender is a long way from being the finished product.