Five Wayne Rooney attributes that Manchester United and its fans will sorely miss

#1: His leadership and manly demeanour

Wayne Rooney has exceptional leadership qualities.

Wayne Rooney is a born leader when it comes to leading his team. An early example of his leadership quality was revealed by Patrick Barclay in his biography about Sir Alex Ferguson.

Rooney once met Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher at a local store. Being an Everton fan, Rooney walked up to him and said,"I will be playing against you and scoring goals very soon." Rooney was just fifteen at that time.

Certainly, the confidence speaks a lot about his ability to be a world class leader. Rooney has also been a role model for all the youngsters that have come through the youth ranks in his times at United.

One fact the United fans love about their former captain is his manly demeanour on the pitch. Wayne Rooney was as brave as a gladiator when it came to facing rough tackles. At times he was reckless but chivalrous all the same.

You definitely don't want to be on the end of an angry Wayne Rooney, who could set the opponents quaking in their boots. He has been an absolute leader, always fighting for his players and the team.

Another fantastic characteristic of Rooney's uncanny manliness was the way he dealt with injuries. Rooney got horribly injured after a clash with Fulham striker Hugo Rodallega in 2012.

Apparently, Rodallega's studs ripped apart Rooney's thigh so deep, Danny Welbeck was unable to even look at it. Rooney preferred to walk down the pitch, even with that horrible gash. Although, he was stretchered off by the medics.

On the inside, Rooney was also great as a person with players who newly joined United. He helped many foreigners such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Fabio, Raphael, and Patrice Evra settle at the club. Also, he had fantastic relationships with all the strikers he played with, during his time at Old Trafford.

“He was the kid of England, everyone loved him. He was so powerful I was calling him ‘Pitbull.’ The power of Wayne Rooney is his mentality and strength and he never stops. He’s a fantastic team player and he scores. He’s a fantastic boy and he helped me a lot when he came to join us in Manchester.” — Cristiano Ronaldo.

As Ronaldo acknowledges his teammate, United fans will sorely miss this legend walking out in a United shirt.