Rooney to MLS – More Records to be Created?

It’s easy to forget, dare I say convenient for some, what a player Wayne Rooney was. To become England’s and Manchester United’s record scorer is an achievement that may never be bettered. Yet in some quarters Rooney still gets knocked for it.

There was a time when Rooney, Ronaldo and van Nistelrooy tore up the Premier League. Rooney more than held his own in that company for a number of seasons in the elite of English football. Then we get to the magic, obviously his introduction to the Premier League goal for Everton v Arsenal. His hat-trick against Fenerbahce, ‘THAT’ goal against Man City and he still had time on his Everton return for this:

Right Time to Move On

The Toffees I know were delighted to have him back, but are not too upset to see him leave either. He’s a couple of years younger than Ronaldo, but unlike CR7, the wear and tear has been showing for a while.

He no longer had the pace to play up front for Everton and was even struggling when dropped back to midfield. It’s a fond farewell for Rooney but there are certainly no tears at Goodison Park. There was a time when ageing players would drop down a division to carry on playing. John Terry aside, that is the exception rather than the rule these days.

It’s no surprise then that Wayne has made a move abroad, presumably for a decent amount of money. The MLS set-up is too complicated to go into here but there is scope to pay big wages to ‘star’ imports.  The bigger money remains in China though, even with the recent restrictions around wages put in place. It’s odds on though that it’s easier to find his favourite dinner of sausage, egg and chips in the USA. I’m not saying that played a huge part in his decision. It could well maybe be one of the “lifestyle choices” he cited in choosing DC United.

• Premier League Transfer Watch

More than just football

Off the pitch I’m sure Rooney will be well looked after, but on it there’s a chance he’ll struggle. The Liverpudlian is following in the footsteps of a number of big names. A large number of English players have followed this route and you can count the number of success stories on one hand.

Beckham was the first top class English player to move over, sorry and he had a mixed time at LA Galaxy. Obviously he was nearing the end of his career, but a loan move to Milan did not endear him to the fans. He was continually booed by fans and labelled a part-timer on his return to Los Angeles.

Success not Guaranteed

Arguably Frank Lampard has been the best performing big name export to MLS from the Premier League. It was masterful the way he negotiated his move to New York City via Man City with minimal beef from Chelsea fans.

Things started badly however. After his first season, he was voted the worst transfer in the MLS but he managed to turn things around in 2016. Injury delayed the start to his second season, which ultimately came in a 7-0 defeat to New York Red Bulls. Not that he was in any way at fault as a late substitute, but it certainly didn’t help the situation. Things definitely improved after this however. Lampard went on to score four in five, before netting the first ever New York City hat-trick against Colorado Rapids. He ended up with 13 goals in 19 appearances and looked set for a promising third season.

That season never transpired, for reasons that will surely apply to Rooney too further down the line. Lampard’s contract expired as he was struggling with the travel and the hard pitches in MLS. A lot of the teams are playing in stadiums designed for Baseball or NFL matches, making them less than ideal for Soccer.

Conditions not always ideal

Local derbies are hard to come by as well. There is no ‘walk to the lane’ or a ‘bus over the bridge’ to visit opposing teams. Part of the reason NFL matches are being played in the UK more often, is that crossing the Atlantic is as easy, or hard, as travelling across the United States. The schedule is gruelling and one that Wayne Rooney may well find difficult.

Steven Gerrard and Jermain Defoe also spent some time in the US. It probably tells you all you need to know that Defoe preferred a return to England and fighting relegation with Sunderland, than continuing to play for Toronto. This despite Toronto being one of the best bets for MLS honours. Gerrard was named player of the week after his debut. Only a handful of goals followed during his time at LA Galaxy however and it was not particularly memorable.

English Exports across the Atlantic set to continue

It’s not all bad news for Brits in America though. A potential new trend is developing with young British players learning the ropes abroad. If they’re good enough they will then return to compete in the Premier League.

While the football heritage and experience is not there yet, you can be sure that the fitness training and nutritional side of things will be top notch in the US. One player who enjoyed the benefit of this is Jack Harrison. Jack as a Manchester City player, was loaned out to franchise partners New York City for 2017. He completed 40 league appearances, scoring ten goals in the process and played alongside the likes of Pirlo and David Villa. This will have done the world of good for the now 21 year old who returned to English football this year. Time will tell what the future holds.

There are also a number of older British players in MLS who Wayne Rooney can look to for inspiration. Bradley Wright-Philips is the main man here, playing for New York Red Bulls. Having left Charlton in 2013 he has absolutely thrived during his five years in the US. Wright-Phillips is now on the verge of racking up a century of goals. Ashley Cole is an ever-present for LA Galaxy this season with Jordan Mutch and Tyrone Mears other players who have moved stateside and done well.

Only Time will tell for Rooney

It was too soon for Rooney to start against LA Galaxy but DC United earned a valuable 2-2 draw. Once Zlatan had given the home side the lead a the draw was a good result for LA Galaxy, after a poor season so far. Ibrahimovic, alongside other thirty somethings like David Villa and Sebastian Giovinco have also demonstrated that there is life after playing for the European elite. Giovinco was criminally ignored by Italy who paid the price in World Cup qualifying as we all know.

We will all have to watch this space and see whether some more magic is created by one of England’s greatest ever players.