Rooney Meets Moyes: The Money or Ambition? Arsenal and Chelsea Wait Impatiently.

Unsettled Manchester United forward, Wayne Rooney, again takes centre-stage as new boss David Moyes returns to the club’s Carrington base after resuming duty yesterday (Monday).

Wayne Rooney and David Moyes Holds Talk on Tuesday Over the England International's Future at Old Trafford.
Wayne Rooney and David Moyes Holds Talk on Tuesday Over the England International’s Future at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old England international will today hold talks with Moyes over his future at Old Trafford. Rooney worked with the former Everton manager before signing for the Red Devil for £25.6m in August 2004.

Aside from winning the Premier League title 5 times in his nine years at United, he also holds two League Cups medals and was part of the squad that defeated Chelsea in Moscow in the final of the UEFA Champions League. ‘Wazza’ was the Premier League’s version of Gareth Bale in the 2009/10 season when he scooped both the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Players’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers Association (FWA) Footballer of the Year.

Premier League's Goal of the 20 Seasons.
Premier League’s Goal of the 20 Seasons.

Rooney has won the Goal of the Season awarded by the BBC’s Match of the Day poll on three occasions and his bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City in 2011 won the Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons’ award. Suffix to say Rooney is the third highest-paid footballer in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, on £250,000-a-week wage at Old Trafford; he’s worth £18m per annum.

His early football career will most notably be remembered for his on-the-pitch exuberance. In September 2005, he was sent off in a Champions League clash with Villareal of Spain for sarcastically clapping the referee who had booked him for an obvious foul on an opponent. He was later sent off in an Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Pepe (then a Porto defender) with an elbow.

On 2 April 2011, Rooney’s second goal against West Ham saw him reach the 100 Premier League goals milestone, joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes to become the third and youngest United player to reach such feat. During Rooney’s celebrations following his third goal in the same match which United won 4-2, he swore into a pitchside camera and was subsequently charged by the FA for using offensive language.

Teenage Exuberance: Rooney Claps at a Referee in a Champions League Clash.
Teenage Exuberance: Rooney Claps at a Referee in a Champions League Clash.

As a United player, Rooney’s had suffered some season-threatening injuries; including his broken metatarsal in the away 3-0 loss to eventual league champions Chelsea in April 2006 after a tackle by Paulo Ferreira. He limped off with a hamstring ailment after scoring the only goal of the 1-0 league win over Wigan Athletics in 2008 and twisted his ankle in the Champions League first leg away defeat at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in March 2010. He re-damaged the ankle in the return leg at Old Trafford the following week after making a surprise return to the starting line-up.

That been said Rooney is one of the greatest talents to have played for United and the club’s faithful fear his departure could rob them of ‘the biggest England talent’ in as many years.

Rooney’s transfer request at the end of last season is reportedly not his first. He also asked to leave United in October 2010 but made a dramatic U-turn and agreed a five-year contract after been persuaded by his former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Both first and second request haven’t really been attributed to money but ambition which former United assistant coach Mike Phelan recently reiterated, claiming the forward may want a fresh challenge away from Manchester.

“Wayne is at the greatest club you can be at,” Phelan told BBC Radio 5 live. “Why would you want to jeopardise that, unless you want a fresh challenge and you feel that challenge isn’t being met at Manchester United.”

Rooney was played wide outside his favourite position in the club’s 2012/13 title-winning campaign, following the arrival of Dutchman Robin van Persie and started from the bench in the Champions League second-leg clash with Real Madrid as the manager opted for young striker Danny Welbeck.

The wantaway forward has been linked with Paris St Germain, Arsenal and Chelsea. However, the desire to keep the former Everton player at Old Trafford might not be as potent as it were in 2010 as Phelan- who left Old Trafford- this summer- also admitted Rooney was not at his best last season.

“That is a difficult one,” he said. “You can put the first one (transfer request) down to inexperience but the second one is putting yourself right out there.

“Somewhere down the line there will be words said, there will be meetings and they will see if it’s still alive and worth going for, or they’ll call time on it.

“He’s come from a fresh-faced 17-year-old and has been under the spotlight for that time and he has delivered. He might have hit a blip in certain performance but he isn’t the first or last player to have done that.

While Moyes holds a face-to-face talk with the player over his future, Chelsea are reportedly preparing to offer £20m for the striker and Pheelan believes it’s now all about the 27-year-old striker’s resolve.

Wayne Rooney is Reported to be Interested in Working Under Jose Mourinho.
Wayne Rooney is Reported to be Interested in Working Under Jose Mourinho.

“You have to nurse them through it and hopefully he responds to that,” Pheelan added. “Sometimes you have to crack the whip with him. Wayne has responded as well as he feels he can do for United, and what will be will be – I haven’t got a clue.”