The wantaway kid - Wayne Rooney

At a football club, there are some things that must always be remembered. First, that no player is bigger than the club. The second is that, if someone wants to leave, there should never by any hue and cry over it. And most importantly, whether you play at a world class club like United, or a crazy club like Blackburn, you are supposed to be professional about the game. And in the latest Rooney saga, I find no condition fulfilled.

The saga has unfolded like a flop soap opera. The man who has been a crowd favourite, keeps throwing tantrums. The old scrawny father tries to keep him in place and yet the child refuses to learn. The father gives him more sweets and he is satisfied. Fast forward a couple of seasons and the kid in diapers now wants the world. That kid in diapers is Wayne Rooney.

I do not say all this to insult Wayne Rooney; I admire him as a footballer but not as a professional. There are very few players that completely define a club. Wayne Rooney is on of them. His perseverance, passion and dedication are values that every United player is supposed to possess. After having 197 goals in 400 games, the man’s status as a United legend is not in doubt. His ability and willingness to stay at the ‘Theater of Dreams’ looks gone though. Rooney has had his share of unprofessional incidents throughout his career. But everything was forgotten because, at times, he was the force dragging United forward. The last time he behaved like a frustrated teenager, Sir Alex bowed to him. But he never forgave him for it. And as a result, we saw the arrival of Kagawa and Van Persie.

That Rooney deserves a regular place or not is not my point. My point is that the ‘love’ and desperation for the man is useless. Removing ‘Manchester United player’ from his twitter account is not only incredibly unprofessional but also unbelievably immature. United do not lack in money. At least, they have enough to replace Rooney. And I even think it could all work out perfectly for the Red Devils. Rooney has looked anything but good for large parts of the season. Take away his early season performances against Chelsea and City and the record looks even more mediocre. He is overweight, lacking in confidence and devoid of work ethic. And by work ethic, I do not mean running like a useless terrier all over the park. The much ‘haloed’ partnership between him and RVP never really took off. And at times, it looked the Flying Dutchman was carrying a flailing Englishman.

With names like Lewandowski doing the rounds, it is my humble opinion that United should not try to stop him. Be it any sport, whiners are never tolerated. And honestly, had it been any player other than Rooney, he would already have been shown the door. Fans should stop wishing he stayed. A player without devotion is as good as Marko Marin is at Chelsea.

The situation with Cristiano was different. He behaved professionally and worked through the proper channels. The same went for the impetuous Berbatov. Even David Beckham was better than Wayne Rooney. With a previous foe in Moyes, things could only get worse. And there is a real danger of the number 10’s discontent affecting the entire squad.

I have always been a fan of Wayne Rooney. But to me, like any other Manchester United man, the club is always bigger than the player. The club bent once. It should not do so again. All I hope the club does now is give him a kick on his back and send him to lap up astronomical amounts of money elsewhere.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of Sportskeeda