With Wayne Rooney poised for an Everton return, Sportsmail reporters consider whether the Manchester United man is making the right move

  • Wayne Rooney is poised to make an emotional return to boyhood club Everton 
  • The Manchester United captain is set to leave Old Trafford this summer 
  • Rooney rose to the top with United and became the club's leading goalscorer
  • Sportsmail reporters give their verdict on whether he is making the right move 

Wayne Rooney looks poised to put his Manchester United chapter behind him and seal an emotional return to his boyhood club Everton this summer.

Rooney, United's captain and all-time record goalscorer, looks destined to turn out at Goodison Park once again after the two clubs entered into negotiations.

Sportsmail reporters have mulled over the potential move and delivered their verdicts as to whether the 31-year-old is making the correct decision to pull on the famous blue shirt once again...

Wayne Rooney is poised to seal a return to his boyhood club Everton this summer

Wayne Rooney is poised to seal a return to his boyhood club Everton this summer

 

ROB DRAPER


Absolutely. Rooney is on the fringe of things at United; at Everton he'll be part of something again. And Everton look like they're on the cusp of something special. Rooney needs to play regularly to stay fit; coming off the bench doesn't suit him. China would have been more lucrative but culturally hugely challenging. And presumably an adventure he might have had to embark on without his family. As it is, it's the perfect time to come home. 

JOE BERNSTEIN

It's the right move for Wayne Rooney, less so for Everton. Rooney hasn't got that many options in the autumn of his career, he's a home bird and this is an attractive chance to build bridges at his boyhood idols. Ronald Koeman will have some trepidation. A fit and focussed Rooney would be an asset but the manager won't want to be bogged down by interminable debates about the player's best position.

Rooney rose to the top with Manchester United to become the club's all-time leading scorer

Rooney rose to the top with Manchester United to become the club's all-time leading scorer

LAURIE WHITWELL

Yes. Rooney's United career has flatlined to the point where he would not be bowing out gracefully in the manner of Paul Scholes or Ryan Giggs, whereas at Everton there is the opportunity to contribute in a meaningful manner. Even if he doesn't start every week, Rooney will enjoy greater influence than at Old Trafford. Going back to the place where it all started strikes as a fitting conclusion to a fine career.

MIKE KEEGAN

Yes. Rooney is not the type to sit on the bench and fade away, which is what would happen if he stayed at Old Trafford. Moving to Everton provides the opportunity to come 360 and fittingly end his career where it started. It also keeps him close to his family and, should he recapture international form, close to Gareth Southgate.

ADAM CRAFTON

It's a better for Rooney than it is for Everton, I would say. There will be a lot of expectation and attention centred on Rooney and Ronald Koeman will be expected to give him really significant game time. Everton are building a talented young side and Rooney may slow down their play. The evidence of last season sadly suggests Rooney no longer has the ability to define matches at the level of a top-seven Premier League side. The counter-argument is Rooney has always been at his best when he is playing regularly, rather than being in-and-out and an extended run may see him discover his best form.

A return to Goodison Park would mean Rooney will not have to uproot his young family

A return to Goodison Park would mean Rooney will not have to uproot his young family

IAN HERBERT

No. The mind is willing but a vast workload of well over 500 games and a physiology unsuited to physical recovery have done for him. One of the great players of the early years of this century risks being remembered as a shadow of his once great self. He should give himself a lucrative season in the Los Angeles sun and say farewell.

CRAIG HOPE

No. Given time, he won't play. I'm not sure there is a "right move" for Wayne Rooney. He has lost so much in the past two years - both physically and mentally - that I fear he'll play his way out of any side in the Premier League. He's had the best part of 14 years at the top, but those days are gone. I hope he proves me wrong, but I think he'll be in the MLS this time next year.

CHRIS WHEELER

Yes. Rooney gets his wish to play for his boyhood club again, he stays in the Premier League and, most importantly, continues earning that £230,000-a-week pay packet for at least another two years. China was never a good option for a player like Rooney, but Everton has always made sense if the deal could be done. Whether it’s the right option for the club is another matter.

Rooney burst onto the scene as an extraordinarily talented youngster in the famous blue shirt

Rooney burst onto the scene as an extraordinarily talented youngster in the famous blue shirt

MATT BARLOW

Yes, there's far more in it for Rooney than for Everton: emotional homecoming, big contract, fresh challenge, no need to uproot his family. For Everton it's a massive financial commitment for a player past his best.

JACK GAUGHAN 

Yes. Rooney should become reinvigorated with a move back to Merseyside. His time at United has gone a bit stale for a number of reasons but pulling on an Everton shirt again will act as a livener. Rooney can still have an impact on games - watching him away at Stoke last season is testament to that - and this would be a perfect opportunity for him.