Rooney set to travel to DC to discuss MLS move

DC United, the worst franchise in MLS. Dismal 10-year record, bottom of the league right now, poorly run, doesn't spend, even charges its academy players an annual fee. New stadium stuck in a dust-choked corner of the district known as, appropriately enough, Buzzard Point.

Of course, Wayne himself is a bit dusty and buzzard-stalked these days.

Should be an interesting marriage. As long as it lasts.

As it said in an article the other day, the club will welcome him back with open arms, name your own job and more cash. Maybe he can cut the ribbon at the opening of the new stadium on his return. Usher in the future blues success that we all desire.

Anyone hear Ginola advocate him signing for Spurs instead of going to America? No wonder he's not had much of a career after football.

Good luck, Wayne. I hope you can do yourself justice over there.

If the Club is as you say, and I don't doubt you for one minute, what has attracted Rooney there?

Could it be the money by any chance?

Should never have been re-employed by our club once he'd deserted us and should never be allowed to set foot again in Goodison Park, Finch Farm, Bramley-Moore Dock, or any other of our land.

He can still do a job for them and he will definitely be a draw for the club in terms of fans and signing players (much like Beckham did for LA). They'll be opening a new stadium within the next couple of months so it will be an exciting time for the club if he joins them.

It would give me an excuse to catch DC when they come out to Seattle to play the Sounders. I'll be bummed if he goes as I think he can still do a job for us but I don't think he'll be happy unless he can dictate his playing time – which I don't think is in the cards if he stays with us.

I would rather dwell on that wonderful hat-trick goal against West Ham. Good luck, Wayne, it sounds as though you might be needing it.

● No more Man Utd Rejects. We have been a dumping ground for too long.
● No more overpriced players from relegation-threatened clubs.
● No more players who are past their best, we've seen them all fail.
● No more ex-players on the coaching staff.
● No more strikers from inferior leagues.
● Don't answer the phone if an actor wants to give you advice on footballing matters.

Lastly, we haven't seen a great player at Goodison for 30 years, sort the scouting out. It's an absolute disgrace.

Thanks,

KT.

I've got mixed feelings about the lad (I certainly wouldn't take dating advice off him!); he gave his all? But he also could've given a lot more to the cause if he looked after himself.

But who am I to judge? Thanks for the memories, lad, fish and tater'.

Sad really.

Er, forget it. He wasn't all that in Ronin.

I'm sure there'll be an emotional video released by the club to commemorate his departure. What next Bill? Ah yes... Moyes is looking for work, isn't he. And we can always reminisce about something that happened on this day in the early 90s because that's important right?

He still has something to offer but his passing, whilst very decent, is not good enough to make up for his lack of mobility around the middle of the park.

He should never have been invited back and I cannot wait for him to sneak out of the back door now that he has been found out.

I hope his departure, coupled with last week's positive changes to the board, signals an end to the unambitious sentimentality that has plagued our last 23 trophy-less years.

"Should be ashamed of the way he's looked after himself. Could still have been great to this day if he'd focused on fitness and not shagging around."

Apparently the 600+ games he's played for club and country had nothing to do with his body wearing down. Playing for club and country meant several seasons, across his prime, where he basically played year-round. Nothing to do with his legs gone by his early 30s.

"Beer and skirts. That's what done him! Shameful" Hahaha.

Not to speak for Mike Gaynes, but I think I can answer your question of what drew Rooney to DC.

'Merica.

If you're coming stateside, DC is honestly one of the "coolest" cities you'll find. Southern Maryland is jaw-droppingly beautiful as is Northern Virginia. Add that to being in the historical center of America's history (admittedly a shorter history to what you're accustomed to but a pretty intriguing one nonetheless). You can't pick a better place in this country to be in my opinion.

Traffic is awful but, aside from that, the DC area is absolutely wonderful.

I'd say Wayne is getting paid a mint to play in a country and area he'll probably grow to love – and he knows it. Great experience for his family as well.

He doesn't give two shits how poorly DC United are run. And they're a lot like Everton – good history, not so good last decade (read longer for Everton but you see the parallels).

He's coming over, getting paid, and it's a great, great area of this country. The soccer and the Club don't really matter and don't factor into the equation.

'Told ya so he's shite! Should have never brought him back!'

Drown the witch I say!!

I prefer to remember this link below. Oh, and although it didn't pan out, I still haven't seen, possibly barring Mikel Arteta, a player with more skill or vision than Rooney.

Thank you, Wayne, from one fan who won't roast the fuck out of you, I wish you luck.

It did say that it originated from The Sun, though, so it's probably bollocks.

Only Sigurdsson has matched his productivity in terms of goals and assists; he lost possession often because he was one of the few players with the balls to show for the ball and look for a forward pass.

Good luck, Wayne, you are leaving a load of dross behind you... but it sounds like you are headed to a load more in DC United.

It's a good job Ronaldo and David Silva haven't been playing regularly both domestically, in Europe, and internationally since a young age isn't it? Otherwise the comparison to Rooney just wouldn't be fair.

But sadly, the bitterness from some negates his value to the club, I wish him well and now you can all move on to the next target, Davies perhaps? Tosun if he fails to score after two games?

Haven't seen a great player at the club for 30 years... ?

Quite right though.. for the last 30 years, we became the Gumtree of the Premier League. Anyone with potential was sold and anyone playing at their peak walked away. Look at the club and its management for that failing, but look no further than here for a few bricks to hurl at our own players.

The sourness that has prevailed at our club is the legacy of Kenwright and his friends, who bought cheap, sold what ever they could, and never spent a penny... it will take more than a few years to forget, an even longer time to forgive.

Anyways, James (#17) sums it up. Wayne was the first true superstar Everton FC have produced in what, 40 years?

Despite all of the bile about his fitness and personal life, the man has achieved more in his professional life that probably all of us contributing on this site have ever done. And he has been played out of position virtually all season and still ended up leading scorer. Not a great return, but hey, not bad, and even though aspects of his game had clearly deteriorated, his heart was in it – we could all see that, unlike some players I could mention?

A good deal all round really, I hope Wayne, Colleen and the boys have a great life in DC or WV, wherever they settle. Thanks for the memories. I shall travel out to watch him, as my daughter lives about 200 miles from Washington, DC.

Koeman didn't want him in the first place and his signing was one of the reasons the season went off the rails imo. Starting with Sigurdsson, Klaassen and Rooney in the squad was just bonkers, along with not signing a proper centre-forward.

Waste of ٥.5m in wages and whatever signing on fee was paid to him and the fact Man Utd were willing to still cover almost half his salary to shift him out should have had alarm bells ringing.

Hope it happens.

Xmas really coming early: Allardyce gone, Elstone gone, Rooney almost gone, and hopefully Kenwright also gone in August.

Going to be a completely new set up September — long wait almost over.

The last remaining reminder, I hope to all our fans, re our tumbleweeded past under the Grand Leech & 'friend's.

Wagons, finally... HO!

Kenwright and his mates never put a penny into EFC and took years to find a good enough deal to sell.

I can only hope he goes this summer and we can start again.

DC is an incredible, vibrant, thriving city with much to offer and, actually, plenty of beauty. The new stadium is in a rapidly up-and-coming part of town, right next to the successful baseball team (Washington Nationals).

Say what you will about Wayne being past his best, but DC is thriving!

Best of luck for the future.

Sadly it looks like smoking, boozing and shagging have been more important to him than football and time has caught up with him, Sam Allardyce was right about one thing in his time at Everton.

Although I'm with the majority on Wayne's being past it, I do agree with Christine (#35) that the hostility here towards him is disappointing and sometimes inappropriate IMO. (I particularly call Bullshit on Denis's claim (#37) that Wayne was a "divisive influence in the dressing room" – I've seen no such reporting, and you weren't in the dressing room, so back that up, if you can.)

James (#40), I haven't seen anybody criticize DC here. I agree with you and Jamie (#26) that it can be a great place to live, although I'm not a fan of East Coast weather myself. (Enjoying your current monsoon?) My comment was about the pollution problems of the specific Buzzard's Point area partly caused by the new Audi Stadium, as the Post reported:

New stadium, new restaurants, and more dust and pollution for the poorest residents of Southwest Washington

Jamie, you might be right that the club and footy are irrelevant, but it's still hard for me to imagine Wayne going to a loser like DC United unless he's been sold a bill of goods about imminent changes at the club, including the move to the Audi. When he actually sees the "talent" he'll be playing with, he's going to want a lot of brewskis. And the DC area enforces DUI laws tightly, doesn't it?

I can understand why MLS wants him to come over and they have sent him to DC United. I live here. Their new park opens soon, they suck, and in a good area for sports coverage (Pro and University level), DC United almost doesn't exist. So I get it. His legs are shot, but his name still rings out.

Anyway, over-the-hill or not, I've never seen him live, in-person. My Red Bull are in here come August and I'm going. I will have to check when LA Galaxy are coming this way. Might get a ticket for that one, too. See Ibra and Wayne. Be neat.

Nothing to do with him playing in the top league since he was a 16-year-old kid?

Nothing to do with him leaving his bollocks on the pitch each and every time he played? 100% in every game.

Nothing to do with him working so hard in every game on the way to becoming England's and Man Utd's all-time top scorer?

Bit of respect due here.

And if you haven't noticed, Ronaldo gets held out of games to preserve his legs now and he's not remotely the all-around goal-scoring holy terror he was. He spends a lot of time in the box lately because we both know why. That's best for his legs after all these years if he's to remain a top scoring threat. So, comparisons to Ronaldo I get.

But Silva? You're not the first to toss his name in in comparison to Wayne at the same age. Wayne was 6 seasons into his Manc career and 8th in the top league, when Silva went to Man City. While Wayne was battling (under the most demanding manager) for every piece of club silverware available, Silva was subjected to the crucible that was Eibar, Celta, and Valencia. Really, c'mon now.

As far as taking best care of his athletic career, fitness-wise? I'm still amazed that he's smoked cigarettes the entirety of his career. Wow! But that he got drunk sometimes, so what?

All that said, I can agree his lifestyle cut his career short. An all-action superstar who, over 600+ games, gave every drop of sweat and every fiber of his being towards helping his team win. That'd cut anyone's career short. Wayne too.

If somebody offered me the chance to be England's top scorer, captain, multiple Premier League / Cup winner and get my hands on the Champions League, all while burning the candle at both ends, I would have also jumped at the chance to leave a sinking, unambitious club in my teens and then milk it for a year when I'm past it, after spending the past 13 years winning everything there is to play for. All of this, while having one hell of a time off the pitch too. What's not to like? Who cares about Ronaldo or James Milner, or David Silva? I bet Rooney doesn't while he's a multimillionaire.

At the end of the day, football is just a job he happens to be very good at. You may be a great accountant or bricklayer, but I wouldn't hold that against you if you decided to go out on a Saturday night. Move on to the next player you want to slate, Everton fans are great at that! I'm sure they won't mind while they're pocketing 㿞k+ of your hard earned cash you're handing them!

From a season ticket holder who sees that fans are customers, and the sooner others notice that, the better.

I'm up for Leighton to do a coaching job as someone else mentioned, good shout, laa!!!

DC is an amazing city. I lived in Georgetown and travelled all over the DC area after college and I absolutely loved it.

Yes, it has impoverished areas that are seriously neglected. Show my any city that doesn't in America or England for that matter.

DC United is trying - new stadium and they want to regain former glory. Sound familiar?

But anyone who's travelled up and down I-95 in VA and Maryland know it's absolutely gorgeous. And as a previous poster mentioned, it's a very vibrant city. If you get bored in DC you have serious personality issues.

And yes Mike Gaynes, my recollection of DC is it's very harsh on DUIs. But Wayne can take the brilliant mass transit system or hire a driver for that matter.

Good luck to Wayne Rooney in a gem of an area. I hope you travel a bit north in the Mid-Atlantic and eat crab cakes and drink craft beers until you burst. In the off season of course

I think that may be one of my favorite all-time Everton video clips.

All of Goodison screaming in unison, "SHOOT!" before Wayne strikes the ball.

I've probably rewound and rewatched that moment 1000 times.

I'm glad he came "home". Hell, if only for that moment.

Magic.

I cannot imagine an over the hill player coming back to the club for primarily Kenwright's sentimentality, not wanted by the manager and earning (by far) the largest salary at the club, not creating some animosity, so you can call BS all you like. The whole point of TW is opinion – no one here sits in the dressing room, conducts negotiations, has intimate knowledge of the club – if they did they wouldn't be here in the first place.

Add to that the fact record signing 㿙m Sigurdsson was played out of position repeatedly to accommodate Rooney and even when out of form/out of fitness Rooney was still playing with many suggesting it may be due to his contract terms. Sure that made all the players happy as Larry.

Each to their own opinions at the end of the day and I never wanted him back. I also didn't think he would be a particularly good role model for the younger players and I'm sure his off-field antics no doubt made the club proud.

He was a great player but those days (in the prem anyway) are many many moons ago and it will a relief to get his ٥.5m salary off the wage book and give it to someone better, younger, quicker, fitter and with resale value, who won't have a press circus around them.

John G, that was then but I didn't want him to come back to Everton because I feared the deal wouldn't come off. I don't think it was anywhere near a success; his career was on the way down in his last two years with United for all to see. One last question, John: Would you have brought him back?

By that, I mean the simple act of going onto a football pitch, once, perhaps twice a week, and staying on it for 90 minutes, which he has singularly failed to do during his season at Everton. It beggars belief that we still talk about “professional” football.

Add to that a simple question, such as: Who did a “due diligence” on this guy prior to signing him as regards his fitness levels, personal profile etc? — and we have another case not only of shambolic Everton but an industry pretty much beyond contempt.

Darren (#50), I'm a Chicago native too, hope you've spent some great times there with your mum, but it's not a good place right now either.

Jamie (#52), I still have that half-field missile on my DVR, and I watch it often. I can never repay Wayne for that memory, or for the goal against Arsenal way back when.

I always believed in that little word 'loyalty' but regrettably it seems it is only a one-sided sword. Loyalty went out years ago but common business sense has hopefully not – although Everton are light-years behind the learning curve!!

COYB, smell the coffee, enter the fray, and let's get this dog barking again!!

Now it turns out you were supposing and imagining and trying to read players' minds. Right-o... Only we don't have to imagine. All we have to do is read what they say.

Koeman: "He's been vital from the beginning, not only on the pitch but also off the pitch. He's teaching young players and it's good for the manager to have that type of player – he's experienced. And most of the other players need that experience and can learn a lot from Wayne."

Baines: "He is a big character in the dressing room for us at half-time, before the games and around the training ground. He's someone that you need in the squad. You need a handful of players who have got that personality and character. And he comes in as one of them."

Davies: "Just having him around every day is so good for the team – and for me because I can pick up little bits from him. He does (give me advice), especially when I've come off the pitch and I'm a bit unsure about my performance. He'll have a chat with me about what's happened and the game and stuff... it's good for my development.”

Calvert-Lewin: “He has helped me, Jonjoe and Tom quite a lot. To have him around with all his experience and everything he has been through in his career, as you are going through different experiences yourself, is a big help. He had played a lot more games by the time he was 21 than I have. As a young player, he is always a good man to turn to and ask for advice.”

Gueye: “I realised he's a really nice guy, super humble and who comes down to our level to reassure us, and that's why we get on in the dressing room. He jokes and we have a laugh. Now, it's as if I've played with him my entire career.”

Yeah, that animosity and unhappiness and dissension and divisiveness is just all over the place, isn't it?

You didn't want him back, thought he was over the hill and too slow and past it, and all that's fine. And yeah, he made a complete ass of himself and embarrassed the club in the Beetle. Agreed.

So if there's all that to support your view, why just make shit up?

Yes he has talent, he is, I think, passionate about the game and just wants to play, it's all he knows, and I think he will also always be a blue.

But he has not been a professional in the real meaning of the word. That is why he is largely a busted flush in the Premier League and would be better competing at a lower level. I hope we recoup most of the fee, if anyone can actually decipher that from the Lukaku deal.

The fact is he was our top scorer. He also had a hand in the most goals. We also did not win a game without him. Sure, Gyfli is the better of the two, particularly this calendar year, but he can't match Wayne on those stats.

We could all agree it's a mutually beneficial move, but there's no need for the embarrassing vitriol. The lad came back and gave his all. He never failed to give his best. The only issue was whether his best was good enough, and many believe that it is not. Let's not say goodbye like he's Mirallas and stealing a living.

Given a balanced squad he would be competing with Siggurdsson for the number 10 position. He still has quality in the final third just that as a team we don't get to play there often.

Tosun would have benefitted from having him to link up with rather than link up with Pickford.

As a football fan Wayne Rooney is one of the premier leagues best English players. Top scorer for his country and top scorer for the most successful premier league side.

He was still our top scorer playing mostly out of position.

First and second time around he has been in the right place at the wrong time.

So in your view the task of the owners of a football club is to pour in millions of their own money (which in our case they did not have) in order that we the fans can be happy.

Which other industry (and let us be fair, this is now an industry) has a business model where the customers pay small amounts and all the losses are covered by the investors? I'd say that was the case most investors would insist on putting up prices. So how about 𧴜 a match ticket? No, I think not (especially for the dross this season) will be your answer because their role is to pay up for your pleasure.

Do we know how much of our 𧴜m+ TV money has leeched out in directors fees and renumeration. I would take a guess at not much and probably zero. Stupid decisions made, quite a few which may have reduced the value of their shares.

Selling at the first opportunity to an asset stripper may have been your choice. Take all the new investors in English football. Man Utd making millions but in debt, Arsenal carefully managed but not spending, Chelsea and Man City backed by mega money. Liverpool a bit like Arsenal except they are almost 30 years since Champions and Spurs who have made money but struggling to compete with the mega signings and we have won the title 3 times since their last one.

And the others? Fulham, Villa, Sunderland, Leads, Newcastle. They could have bought us. Yes, we could have done better but I think I would prefer what we have had then almost all the other alternatives.

Let us wait 1 or 2 years before final judgement. I we are still badly run, poorly marketed then maybe but if we have also lost that connection and family feel and become just another soulless club then won't we all be happy?

I wasn't sure if I wanted him back or not to be honest. Part of me hoped he could be sparked into something by putting the blue shirt on.

It took me a couple of games to realise he was gone.

Also managed by two imbeciles who wouldn't know their best starting lineup if it hit them in the face. He's no angel, but who could really blame him for leaving Everton (at some stage), and winning every available domestic honour as well as Champions League success.

Simple fact, Rooney would be better for Everton with better players around him. The personal vitriol on here is unbelievable.

Come to Minnesota and play for Inchy!

New Stadium opening next season!

Everyone here is Minnesota Nice.

Rooney has won just about all you can win at club level, albeit with another club. Plus, as Steve states, one of the all-time top goal scorers for his country. In addition, he has played hard and given everything on the pitch in every game through his career, and has never been a sicknote, with constant injuries. Unlike Owen and many others I could name.

He was young, hungry & ambitious to do well in his career. Why is he being castigated by many on here, for wanting that? Isn't that exactly what we are asking our club, manager and players to be?

Some have even called him a traitor. You are hypocrites at best. Even Reds supporters show him more respect than some of you.

He left us at a time when Everton had little chance of competing for major honours, which was not his fault. He was and is a very gifted player, and, as some wiser posters have observed, in the right team and with the right Manager could still be a major asset to us.

I am so disappointed in some Evertonians on here, dismissing him with no respect at all. I would bet my house on the fact that if he could have won all those trophies with the club he loves, Everton, he would never have left.

I have been incandescent reading some of the posts slagging him off. You are a disappointment with that attitude and lack of respect you have for this gifted player, who at the end of the day, is an Evertonian despite what many of you say. You have sickened me to the core.

Couldn't have put it better.

Maybe it was Allardyces tactics that his form declined so rapidly, there's no getting away from it that it did.

Seeing we have got rid of the dinosaur it can't be his decision to let him go, it was a gamble which in my opinion sadly didn't work out.

I hope Rooney stays and contributes to a successful team next year!

If Evertonians do not share your adoration of Rooney I don't think they deserve to be castigated, others are entitled to their opinion too.. 25 goals in 100 league appearance for Everton does not make him a legend in my eyes.'He hardly played in the last few years for Mab U and I've seen little to convince me the season that he has a future with us.

Not that I care but his performances (and the rest of the golden generation - all overrated£ in tournaments have been lamentable.

I am not asking fans to 'share my adoration' as you put it. I understand that from a footballing aspect, some fans will feel that he can no longer contribute positively to our team/club. Those opinions I respect, tho they differ from mine.

My point is that he has been abused unnecessarily by posters on ToffeeWeb. He has earned and deserves respect for what he has achieved, not the barrage of personal abuse that some have levelled at him.

While I expect that type of post on other sites, ToffeeWeb posters are, in the main, the thinking fans, not the abusive type, which is why I am so disappointed to see those types of posts on this site. Whether you are a Rooney fan or not, he deserves more respect.