‘Furious’ veteran forward set for second Goodison exit as Marco Silva reportedly sanctions departure
Wayne Rooney’s second Everton spell looks set to end acrimoniously after reports claimed that he was no longer wanted at Goodison Park.
The Mirror has reported that new Toffees boss Marco Silva has instructed Rooney that he will play no part in his first team plans ahead of the new campaign.
Rooney, who romantically rejoined Everton on a two-year deal last summer, has been in talks with DC United about a move to America’s Major League Soccer league.
And it now appears that the 32-year-old Manchester United legend is on his way out of his boyhood club for a second time after Silva’s apparent verdict on his future.
Rooney is believed to have been left incensed by the decision in a separate Mirror report, with the ex-England captain ‘furious’ over how he has been treated by the new management team.
Rooney had returned to Merseyside in stunning fashion despite Everton’s struggles last term – the forward plundering 12 goals in all competitions during the opening half of the season.
However, the Croxteth-born footballer failed to find the back of the net after his match-winning goal against Newcastle in December and seemingly fell down the pecking order as a result.
Rooney became embroiled in an alleged spat with former Blues manager Sam Allardyce after he was withdrawn from the Merseyside derby on the hour mark – the 17th time he was substituted in the Premier League last term.
Despite the pair stating that there was nothing to read into over that incident, Rooney only started two of the last five matches – a knee injury, however, prevented him from turning out for the last couple of games against Southampton and West Ham.
New director of football Marcel Brands had already stated that there would be ‘not nice conversations’ to have with some of Everton’s highest earners this summer as he and Silva look to reduce the club’s wage budget.
There has been plenty of speculation about which Blues stars are up for the chop, and Rooney seems destined to be the first to head for the exit door.
There’s no doubting Rooney’s quality on the ball, and his ability to dictate the tempo from the middle of the park – in a withdrawn midfield role – has helped Everton dominate games against lesser opposition.
However, his inability to last 90 minutes in plenty of fixtures during the 2017/18 campaign have led to murmurings that he doesn’t have the stamina or power to play at the highest level in England anymore.
The speculation over his MLS move has failed to be dampened since the end of the season, and it would appear that Rooney will be the first casualty of Silva’s and Brands’ squad overhaul in L4.
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Rooney has reportedly agreed a deal in principle with DC United and it now seems like a matter of days before he heads stateside in what should be the final major move of his playing career.