Can Rooney become an Old Trafford Legend?

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Article by Adam Stephens

Since making his £30 million move from Everton to Manchester United 9 years ago Wayne Rooney has now become only the fourth player in United’s history to reach 200 goals for the club in 406 appearances which means on average almost a goal every other game.

”It’s gone very quick and I am very pleased to have scored 200 goals for a club like Manchester United. It's a great honour for me. Hopefully there will be more to come," he commented. Link

Wayne Rooney is now only 49 goals behind the legendary figure of Sir Bobby Charlton. Not even 28 till the end of October he has a very realistic possibility of becoming United’s leading goal scorer of all time.

During his time at United he has had to be the player to accommodate and arguably play second fiddle to players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and now Robin Van Persie. He has either been forced to play out wide and do a job tracking back or even becoming a midfield playmaker; but yet he still remains whilst others have moved on. He has however put in two transfer requests, the first one back in 2010 claiming that Manchester United were not meeting his ambitions. It is interesting that Sir Alex said at the time of this request, “Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it’s a better cow than the one you’ve got in your own field. It’s a fact. Right? And it never really works out that way.” Link

The other request was put in earlier this year as a result of missing out on key games such as the Champions League game against Real Madrid due to being played out of his lead striking role position. Rene Meulensteen, Sir Alex’s First Team Coach during the final years of his reign believed there was some truth that he wanted to leave, “ It was clear there was some sort of a desire that he wanted to join Chelsea. I'm very happy that at the end he hasn't and well done to David Moyes for keeping him at United because he is such a key player and he can be a key, key man for them.” Link

Despite both these transfer requests has he now got what it takes to win over the fans completely and be up there with the United greats, the likes of Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best? If he keeps scoring for the club in the next season or two maybe this could be achieved.

Rooney in other words could become an Old Trafford legend but a lot will depend on his actions both on and off the field in the coming months. Will he stick by the team and continue his resurgent form of the past week that has been praised by Sir Alex especially after last Tuesday night’s win over Levakusan. David Moyes seems to have reignited the England’s striker’s hunger for breaking records as well as making him sharper and fitter. He also believes that it is a big year for Wayne ahead of the World Cup and thinks that he has a point to prove, “I think he would say that last year, by his standards wasn’t his best season.” Will he be able to maintain this new attitude? Or will he once again try and force through a move that he seemed to crave back in the summer? If he fails to sign a new contract thus leaving for a rival such as Chelsea how would the United fans remember him? The shaping of a legend is very much up to Rooney and how he plays the United game.