We are now almost exactly at the midpoint between the summer and winter transfer windows, with almost two months gone since its close at the start of September and just over two months from its reopening in January, and the Premier League’s rumour columns are admittedly getting a little silly.
Dirk Kuyt to Barcelona; Chelsea signing Victor Valdes on emergency loan; Eden Hazard jumping ship to Real Madrid because he liked an instagram post; Lionel Messi heading to the Premier League to avoid jail time for tax fraud; the typically tall transfer tales have undergone a steroid-induced growth spurt in recent weeks.
Yet one rumour the romantic fantasist in me hopes contains an element of truth somewhere along the line is Wayne Rooney’s alleged ambitions to one day return to Everton. It started with Toffees skipper Phil Jagielka claiming so in April and popped up once again in the build-up to Manchester United’s 3-0 win at Goodison Park last Saturday, in which the England captain ended an eight-year barren spell at his old stomping ground for the Red Devils’ third of the afternoon.
There is no question that Rooney left Everton, the club that had imprinted upon him a burning passion for the beautiful game as a child, on the worst terms possible in 2004.
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He exploded onto the scene with that unforgettable goal against Arsenal in 2002 but just two years later, aged 18 and after just 77 appearances, was leaving the club behind. It was not the first but amongst the most significant in a trend that has continually escalated in the Premier League since; boy wonders leaving their boyhood clubs before coming anywhere close to the full extremities of their powers, usually for a rather silly amount of money.
He was a Judas, a Merseyside pariah, a Benedict Arnold and a spoilt money-grabber to many of the Everton fans who had watched the city’s prodigal son improve miraculously from his debut to his £25.6million departure. How could Rooney be a ‘true Blue’ if he was walking out after less than a centenary of senior appearances? Did that fabled poster of Anders Limpar on his bedroom wall mean nothing to the striker anymore?
The infamous interview with The Sun, the tabloid that had accused Mersey men of despicable acts during the Hillsborough disaster 15 years earlier, was another sign of Mancunian betrayal, as was Rooney’s allegations of David Moyes in his 2006 autobiography, claiming the then-Goodison gaffer was ‘jealous’ and had ‘forced him out’ of the club.
Yet over a decade has now passed and Rooney’s decision to leave, if not his behaviour surrounding it, has been justified by the unparalleled success he’s achieved at Manchester United, a club that offered him what Everton inevitably couldn’t.
He’s won five Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League, whilst becoming one of the greatest players in Premier League, Manchester United and England history. He’s the Three Lions’ record goal scorer, now 73 behind Alan Shearer in the Premier League’s annals and 13 behind Denis Law in United’s. Leaving Everton, turning those who once chanted his name against him, was a sacrifice Rooney had to make – one unquestionably necessary to reach his full potential.
Likewise, anybody who watched BBC’s documentary on the striker earlier this month – titled The Man Behind The Goals – will have seen a different side to the 29-year-old than often portrayed in the public eye.
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No question, it was a choreographed film that let Rooney say what he wanted to say and obliged others – such as Moyes, Bill Kenwright and Sir Alex Ferguson – to wholeheartedly agree with him. Yet, it still revealed a man who holds Everton dearly in his heart and is immensely proud of the city he grew up in, to the extent both of his children were delivered in Mersey hospitals to ensure they’re official Scousers, despite the relentless abuse he’s received for turning his back on its blue half and spending his career rivalling its red half. The forward discussed the negative impact his 2004 departure caused as one of his deepest regrets.
After watching, I am sure if Rooney returned to Everton, it would not be simply a matter of convenience to prolong his Premier League tenure and ensure one final pay-off before retirement; it would be one of the proudest moments in his career, proof that it was never a lack of love for the club that facilitated his departure.
Of course, there are practicalities to consider and that could be where this hypothetical fairytale comes to an abrupt end. Rooney is the best-paid player in the Premier League at £260k per week and now leads a life of imperious luxury. The average wage at Everton meanwhile, is around £32k per-week. Likewise, the 107-cap international is United’s captain and their most marketable profile; even though his form has been underwhelming to say the least this season, he still holds enormous influence in the dressing room and throughout the club’s commercial enterprises.
Furthermore, how do you actually value a 29-year-old who has four years left on his contract and may or may not be entering an inevitable decline yet is still laden with unquestionable natural talent? Even if United and Everton statisticians run all the numbers, would he actually be affordable? And if he was, would it actually be in United’s interests to sell? Especially with the gap between both clubs slowly getting slimmer.
But as I hope will be the case with Rooney, this article now goes full circle. Regardless of financial nitpicking, the romantic fantasist in me can envisage Rooney’s emotions ruling supreme to create a fairytale end to an incredible career. A simple and clichéd yet heart-warming fairytale, of a prodigal son finally returning home.
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