Everton forward Wayne Rooney’s days at Man Utd are over, but he has hit out at what he perceived to be a drop in standards with new signings.
As with every top club in Europe, it’s important to have experienced leaders in the dressing room to instil the winning culture and mentality into new arrivals that has made that club such a success.
That also applies to the coaching staff and those in the hierarchy, and Rooney has detailed how it became more and more difficult to do so in the latter stages of his spell at Old Trafford.
With countless trophies and individual accolades to his name from his time with Man Utd, coupled with the fact that he established himself as the club’s all-time record goalscorer for the Red Devils, Rooney is part of a select group of past players who know what it takes to win at United.
While offering advice to new recruit Romelu Lukaku, who swapped places with Rooney this month, he has insisted that the process of ensuring new signings know about the standards expected of them at United is getting more and more difficult.
“There are standards that you have to keep when you are at Manchester United,” he is quoted as saying by The Mirror.
“That came from the manager Sir Alex Ferguson when I went to United and it was then passed down through the dressing room by the likes of Giggsy, Gary Neville and Scholesy.
“Over the last few years, it was down to me and Michael Carrick to keep the new players maintaining those standards.
“That became more difficult over the last few years, with some of the players who joined the club. There are traditions at United that have to be maintained. It’s become harder, but that’s not my problem any more. I’m just ecstatic to be back at Everton.”
Rooney went on to insist that he’s ready for his own new challenge having now returned to Everton as he’s determined to make it a success, while he hopes that Lukaku has the right mentality and people around him to embrace the pressure of playing for Man Utd and be a success with the giants.