Manchester: Wayne Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford is in China with the Manchester United striker’s future still up in the air.
The club’s record goalscorer has been the subject of big-money interest from the Chinese Super League and a move before the end of their transfer window — next Tuesday, February 28 — could hinge on whether he features in the squad for this weekend’s EFL Cup final.
But some of Rooney’s former teammates are adamant he is wasting his talent moving to China at 31.
“No way Wayne Rooney should be going to China,” former United skipper Roy Keane told ITV. “He can still play football at the top level in England, Germany, Spain, Italy.
“Going to China? Madness.
“He’s 31 years of age, there’s plenty left yet for Wayne Rooney to do in Europe.”
Ex-Old Trafford midfielder Paul Scholes echoed those thoughts.
“I don’t think he should go,” Scholes told BT Sport.
“Wayne is a player who wants to play football every week. This will be hurting him at the moment. He’ll get frustrated, I don’t see him hanging about if he doesn’t play in the big games.
“He’s only 31, he’s still got time to fight his way back into the team.
“I don’t see China as being the right place to him. He’s a family man. It doesn’t seem the right place for him. Whether he’ll go back to Everton for a year or two, I don’t know. America might be more suited to him. The lifestyle will be better over there.
“There are good players in this team and I hope there’s still a bit of fight left in him.”
