Wayne Rooney is happy to move from midfield to play in attack again for Manchester United, with the 30-year-old also being informed by José Mourinho he will continue as captain next season.
Rooney is content to take up any position under the new manager despite saying less than a month ago that due to his age the time was right for him to operate in a deeper role.
“I’ve moved back and played in midfield for the last few months at United and it’s a natural way of football,” Rooney said last month. “It happens. I feel, with my football intelligence, I can play there and I can further my career as well.”
In summer 2013 when Mourinho was in charge of Chelsea the Portuguese came close to buying him from United, and Rooney is aware that the intention was to play as their main striker. The England captain therefore could have to compete with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcus Rashford for the centre-forward position, despite Mourinho indicating on Tuesday that Rooney may play predominantly as a No10.
Rooney has enjoyed great success for United when operating as a forward, his tally of 245 goals for the club making him only four short of the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton. Last year, Rooney began the campaign as United’s centre-forward under Mourinho’s predecessor as manager, Louis van Gaal. Yet in the latter part of the campaign the Dutchman moved Rooney back into a midfield berth.
Despite being England’s record goalscorer Roy Hodgson followed suit, fielding Rooney in the deeper position at Euro 2016.
Mourinho, though, has given Rooney the clear message he will be an attacker again and that he is to continue with the captaincy, having first been given the armband by Van Gaal two years ago.
Rooney is currently on holiday following England’s disappointing exit from Euro 2016 at the last 16 stage, when they were knocked out by Iceland. He will not return to training with United at the AON Complex until 18 July, the day before the club embark on their pre-season tour of China.
Rooney will be joined by his England team-mates, Rashford and Chris Smalling. However neither he or Rashford and Smalling will feature in the two matches, which are against Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City.
“Fortunately they are coming. I will take them, but I am not going to play them,” Mourinho said. “What is important is to work, to be together and to know each other – to live together for 24 hours every day during the week.”
