Wayne Rooney’s punishment for being arrested has reportedly been decided. Regardless of if this is true or not, he has put Everton in an extremely awkward position.
When news came out regarding Wayne Rooney’s arrest for drink driving, we wondered how Everton would respond. We knew he’d get fined, but would Ronald Koeman take it any further, e.g. suspend him for a game?
Well, if the latest reports are to be believed, Rooney will avoid further punishment. As per a report from Eurosport’s Alexander Netherton, he will ‘only’ be fined around £320,000, which equates to two week’s wages.
Renowned as a no-nonsense manager, Koeman would ideally have liked to make the 31-year-old miss a game, but his hands were somewhat tied. This is due to a combination of a lack of striking options and Everton’s upcoming fixtures, which sees them face Spurs and Man Utd, while also continuing their European exploits.
In truth, the fine itself reveals two major problems for the Blues. The first is, how much of a deterrent will losing £320,000 be for Rooney, who has already amassed a fortune during his career?
Secondly, while the amount may be insignificant to the recently retired England international, it is still the highest wage anyone is earning at the club. After taking a risk on him, the Blues have been put in an extremely awkward position.
Rooney was signed, in large part to set an example for the other players. And the early signs were promising, with his usual work ethic and the bonus of two competitive goals helping get Everton’s season off to a promising start.
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Now though, what kind of impact will the former Manchester United star’s arrest for drinking driving have on the rest of the squad, especially the younger players? As Netherton notes, he was reportedly three times over the limit.
It will be interesting to see how Rooney reacts to this latest controversy surrounding his personal life. In truth, he’ll probably be just fine, with previous issues never affecting his ability to perform on the pitch.
As for Everton and Koeman, they will now nervously wait to see if England’s all-time leading goal scorer can behave himself, moving forward. Understandably, there will be questions surrounding what the club will do, if he does get into trouble again.
In this respect, one thing we don’t agree with, is Netherton’s claim that Everton will send Rooney to China at the end of this season, if he does get into any more trouble. With him signed to a two-year contract, the Blues will do everything possible, to get their money’s worth.
Of course, if the Croxteth-born player starts to play poorly, we reserve the right to change our opinion. (As is often the case for the sports media, with the wonderful benefit of hindsight.) Undoubtedly, Evertonians will be hoping his performances don’t become an issue.
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Assuming the latest reports are true, what is your opinion on Rooney being fined two weeks wages? If this enough, or should Everton do more? Further, do you believe the 31-year-old will stay out of trouble for the rest of this season? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.