Rooney, the man for United!

Recently, we saw Rooney being honoured with the captain’s armband for the national side. People all around generally approved of this decision and Rooney himself was chuffed at the idea of leading the side out at Wembley. He performed well in his new role and was not fazed at all. This got me thinking. Why can’t we have Rooney don the captain’s armband at club level? Here are four reasons why he should be captain at United:

Wayne Rooney lead England out vs. minnows San Marino last week.

1. Hunger and Motivation: Rooney lives for the game. He is one of the old-school types of players who only want to play. He has had this desire to succeed as a player ever since he was a kid and this psychology of his is what endears him the most to the Stretford end faithful. He is looked upon as a game changer, a match winner and he thrives in such situations. He gives a 100% every game and is a reflection of Sir Alex in more ways than one.

2. Age: Rooney is just 26 (will turn 27 in 8 days time). He has at least 6-7 years of top flight football left in him. He is vastly experienced with a decade of EPL behind him and about 74 caps for his country (I’m including the upcoming fixture vs. Poland here). He knows the game well and has dealt with a lot of things over the past 10 years.

3. Suitability: Rooney is tailor-made for captaincy. Cleverley himself said after the San Marino game that Rooney keeps talking to the younger players and offers his opinion frequently. That is what a captain does. Rooney will just have to formally wear the captain’s armband but otherwise things are exactly as they were for him. It’ll also give him a massive confidence booster that the club are entrusting him with the captaincy. The club and the player both will benefit from this arrangement.

4. Best man for the job: Currently, the captain’s armband is worn by Evra and sometimes by Giggs or Rio. But, in my opinion, Rooney suits the job best. He is getting to his peak while the other three are at the twilight of their careers. Evra has been awful over the past two seasons and needs replacement. Buttner has been brought in for that purpose. Rio is staying fit which is a big boost for the club but he has maximum two seasons left in him. Rooney, on the other hand has time, energy and momentum behind him. He will be turning out for the club long after the above three have retired. It’s only fitting that he get the chance to be captain. Seeing someone who is near to them age-wise will be a big boost to the youngsters like Jones, Smalling and Welbeck, who Rooney already knows and would see grow under his stewardship.

To sum up, I’d like to say that this season’s performances will be crucial for Rooney. He has competition for his place and the sheer attacking quality at the club should spur him on to greater heights. It’s there that his and the club’s interests lie. Captaincy will soon follow.