As new manager Marco Silva and Director of Football Marcel Brands met with the media on Monday as they were officially unveiled, the subject of Wayne Rooney and our former Academy graduates seeming impending move to the MLS came up in the questioning.
Brands explained that Rooney would be welcome back at the club (in some capacity) down the line when he hangs up his boots, but unexpectedly, Silva distanced himself from trying to talk the former Manchester United man into staying with us.
The Telegraph quote him as saying that it was already out of his hands.
“It’s something not in my hands, something that started before. It’s Wayne’s decision, with the club, before I came. Before everything is done I will talk with Wayne and what I hope is that everybody works out this situation – him and the club – because he’s a club legend and, for me, that’s everything.”
A move to DC United has long been the subject of speculation and the paper report that a deal is almost in place now, and soon will be, whereby we continue to cover a portion of his remaining year of contract to enable the move to go through.
Silva added that both Rooney and the club ‘needs to take this decision’ and even if it’s out of his hands, it does sound like he welcomes the move as he ushers his own spell at the club in.
For a number of fans, it is a bit of a sour end to things, but history is history and given his physical time with us, whilst they may wish him the best for the future the use of the word ‘legend’ grates for a few.
https://twitter.com/brothersmith76/status/1003692934993235968
I agree, particularly the back end 2008/09 and start of 2009/10. Got a lot of stick the year after for a long barren spell but he had a good run in his first 18 months or so.
— The Black Watch Fanzine (@TheBlack_Watch) June 4, 2018
Nowhere near a legend for us
— Stu (@StuartEFC) June 4, 2018
It’s an insult to our legends to describe him the same way. Not because of him personally but in the short time he was there and what he was elsewhere. United legend? Yes absolutely. Everton legend? Unfortunately absolutely not.
— Jamie Quinlan (@5jamieq) June 4, 2018
You might think that, and I might think that – but wayne rooney doesn't. And he wouldn't have come back at all, only he was surplus to requirements at man utd. There was nothing "romantic" about his return. He'd have retired at united in a heartbeat. I'm made up the rat is going.
— johnb_efc (@santo_dominguez) June 4, 2018
Hopefully, the deal can be done quickly so this doesn’t rumble on when we should be focused on Silva’s rebuild of the club this summer.