Dubai: Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United career is over, according to fellow former England and Red Devils striker Teddy Sheringham.
Rooney, aged 31, has only scored four in 11 starts with the Old Trafford club this season, prompting doubts about his future under coach Jose Mourinho.
And Sheringham, 51, who was part of United’s 1999 treble winning side under Sir Alex Ferguson, believes England’s all-time record goalscorer — who only in January became Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer — is now yesterday’s man at Old Trafford.
“Everyone has to understand that at some stage in your career you go up, and up and up, and then come down the other side, but I mean the way he’s coming down the other side with Jose, he’s jumped off the cliff and is down the bottom,” said Sheringham at ‘An audience with …’ at the Dhow and Anchor at Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai on Sunday.
“He’s getting a couple of minutes here and there but for the big games he hasn’t had a look-in recently. I just think the writing is on the wall. I think he’s going to leave, he must leave, there’s no way he’s going to be at that club as a small bit-part player.
“Where he is going to go I don’t know, whether he goes to China for the last couple of years … he’s still only 31, it’s a shame, he started early at 16 and has had a fantastic career, but I think it’s time to go somewhere else and enjoy his football elsewhere.”
Rooney has 119 appearances for England, six shy of the country’s all-time capped player Peter Shilton, but will likely need regular first-team football at a high level to convince national boss Gareth Southgate he is worthy of earning them.
Asked if 19-year-old Marcus Rashford could assume the role of United’s main striker given Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s long-term knee injury, and the falling out of favour of Anthony Martial and Rooney, Sheringham said: “I think that’s a big mantle to put on a young boy’s shoulders.
“He doesn’t even know his own game yet, he’s still learning, so to actually say he’s going to be the kingpin at Old Trafford, I think, is a little harsh. I think they will go out and buy someone like [Antoine] Griezmann for another world record.
“Mourinho has the stature to demand that buy and Manchester United is a massive club, one of the biggest in the world, so they can demand that as well.”
On whether Mourinho would offer 35-year-old Ibrahimovic a contract extension despite his long-term knee injury, he added: “I think Sir Alex would, but with Mourinho I don’t know.
“Alex would have because of his loyalty to his players. I think he deserves it. They tried to make him sign one before he got injured, so if they’ve done that they have to honour that and keep belief even though he might not be back until Christmas.
“You never know he might be invaluable for the last five months of next season, but it might cost them.”
After Sunday’s 1-1 stalemate at home to Swansea, United have now drawn 10 league games at home this season — only the second time they’ve reached double figures since their 1981 record of 11.
Club captain Rooney started and opened the scoring from the penalty spot against the Swans but was substituted shortly after the equaliser. Due to United’s injury crisis, he may be called upon in the starting line-up versus Celta Vigo in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.
Despite the flurry of home draws this season, Sheringham, who has been in Dubai this week coaching at the ‘It’s Just Football’ academy, said Mourinho was still the man to take the club forward.
“I think it’s a transitional period, they are on their third manager in three or four years. He’s got to get another transfer window to get his own players in to have his own say about what goes on. But in the meantime he’s a winner, he’s already got the League Cup and now he’s looking to get the Europa League as well.
“He doesn’t just want to finish fourth, he’s given Arsene Wenger so much stick over the years about being happy with fourth despite not winning anything, but he wants to win things along the way. He’s not putting all his eggs in one basket for the Europa League, but he wants to win that to make sure he gets into the Champions League that way.”
