Speculation that Wayne Rooney could join Everton next season has split the fan base. Some believe he is past being useful to us, and would only take opportunities of experience and development from youth players with potential, whereas others believe he could change everything, on a club-wide level, and here’s how.
Gerrard has recently been given the role of U18 manager at Liverpool. Imagine being a young player, especially a young Liverpool fan, playing at your boyhood academy, and club legend Steven Gerrard is your manager. You would hang off every word he said, and give your all for him when you get the chance to play. The instalment of using ex players to manage has been used to devastating effect by Barcelona, it resulted in Johan Cruyff pioneering ‘total football’ and is ultimately the reason Barcelona have fielded arguably the best squad in history during the last decade.
We have enjoyed success through this method this season too, when Unsworth led the U23’s to become the PL2 champions. You can imagine the impact Rooney managing the Everton youth would have, he could go on to manage the senior squad if he proves himself good enough. His plans for the future involve managing, and if one of England’s living legends is coaching you, then we can expect unprecedented development at Everton’s youth level. It could lead to decades of greatness.
We wouldn’t have to wait until Rooney has retired and earned all of his coaching badges, which he is currently working on right now, before his presence began to influence the players. I remember watching Tim Cahill and Duncan Ferguson breathe life back into a deflated squad on numerous occasions, their presence and passion was all it took. This effect would be magnified tenfold by the monumental presence Rooney would have around Goodison, and I think it would be insane should Everton decide against signing him in the coming season.
Up the Ev.