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Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United
Wayne Rooney has made his intentions clear to club, Manchester United – he wants out. What followed was a bitter rant from Manchester’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson, leaving Rooney looking the villain. But in team sports, changing clubs is the norm, so why such disdain? Can we really expect total club loyalty these days?
Money makes the world go around, and there’s plenty to be had in the world of professional football today. If you’re good enough, there’ll be a selection of decent clubs all vying for your signature and in exchange for your services, you’ll be handsomely paid. Money is the most persuasive tool known to man, and if we learnt anything from the Israel Folau saga, for the right price a man will even change codes. Yet we expect footballers to be loyal to one club?
In Wayne Rooney’s case, his loyalty to his club thus far, should be commended. Starting out at Everton in 2002, before moving to Manchester United in 2004, for the last six years, Rooney has devoted himself to ManU, and at 24, these have almost certainly been the prime years of his footballing career.
The striker has been one of their most potent players, and within his time at ManU, the club has won the Premier League title three times, the 07-08 UEFA Champions League as well as two Football League Cups. His individual achievements have also included 67 appearances for England, scoring 26 goals, and becoming just the 20th Manchester United player to score over 100 goals for the club (currently sitting on 132 goals), as well as a multitude of international and national awards.
But we shouldn’t be surprised at his desire to leave. Rooney has scored just one goal in the last five games for Manchester and that came from a penalty kick. His tiff with Ferguson over the ankle injury that did, or didn’t happen is laughable, but a true sign that all is not well at Old Trafford.
The drama Rooney has been involved in off the field can’t have helped either. So can you really blame the guy for wanting to part ways and have a fresh start? In fact if I was his agent, I’d be recommending a change of scenery to revitalise his game. Even if it is just kilometres away in Manchester City, at least it’s a fresh start!
In team sports like football many will stay at one club, before moving on to another, until a better offer comes along and they move to another. Only a select few ever remain completely loyal to the one club for their entire career, and you’d be hard-pressed to find such a player these days.
Alex Ferguson’s press conference was like watching a bitter divorcee talk about how they didn’t see it coming, despite never sleeping in the same bed for 6 months. And that’s just it. Ferguson and Rooney have not had the relationship with one another that they once had. It’s a troubling sign when your best striker, who is without injury, is being consistently benched when desperately trying to find form.
Then we find out that Ferguson felt betrayed because Rooney had been touted as a player who put club loyalty before a lucrative offer. Honestly, it’s football. Is it really that surprising? Rooney happens to be one of their top players, and if he was valued as much by the club as Ferguson has said, then why was he not played week after week? Unfortunately, he put Rooney in a corner, and as a result Rooney’s given his two weeks notice.
Of course the fans have reacted accordingly, as have the press, and sure we all get a little sour when this happens, but get over it.
It’s a business, it’s capitalism, it’s modern sport.
Jamie Soward used to play for the Sydney Roosters before going to St. George Illawarra Dragons. As a Roosters fan, I know how it feels. But I don’t hate the guy. He’s a talented player, and he felt he had to move on to move up, and that’s exactly the case with Rooney.
He’s outgrown ManU and Sir Alex Ferguson and by the end of this, probably the English press too.
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