Wayne Rooney's Real Genius

Wayne Rooney can be remembered for many things. The tireless work ethic, the spectacular moments, and the goals. But what he should be remembered for is his adaptability.

Perhaps that’s what gave him such a long career, 366 goals in 883 games. His ability to play in so many different iterations of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.

Would Ronaldo have won the Ballon d’Or, would Van Persie have scored all those goals, would United have won 5 Premier Leagues and a Champions League, without Rooney adapting?

Written by Kaya Kaynak, illustrated by Philippe Fenner.

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#Football #ManUtd #Rooney

[refigee]

He was the embodiment of total football. You could place him anywhere on the outfield and he'd put in a 8/10 performance.

[neelayb]

Never seen a player play with more heart

[Ianox]

Rooney even played as a defensive midfielder during his last season at Utd.

[deanwings]

Rooney has a trait that so many current United players are lacking right now. He's a true embodiment of a team player, a player who elevates his team because of his ability to adapt. Secondly, the man was just engine. World Class shooter, passes, crosser, header, and he did that with talent, hard work, practice and as you say, the ability to adapt and be a team player.

[adaldi_]

Finally a love letter to Rooney's career with Manchester United without the caveat of his career ended too early and just celebrated the 10+ years he gave to the Premier League. He's my favorite player growing up with so I appreciate this video 🎉👍🏽

[nintendogamer]

Let’s not forget his 13/14 Champions League performance where he racked up the most assists of the tournament.

[sillylad]

City fan here, never shy of giving Rooney his flowers. So many big performances and great goals, especially that fecking overhead kick FML I was fuming when they went in but at some point you’ve got to stop hating and respect the talent. He deserved the career he had, he had it all and left it all on the pitch, in spite of all the off the field shenanigans.

Glad to see him doing well as a manag… *ahem* never mind… yeah great player.

[raghavchitkara]

People don’t realise how great of an ability it is to adapt in every situation season in season out. Ultimate ultimate team player.

[danieldajo]

Rooney was an unbelievable combination of power, speed, heart, goalscoring, passing, instinct, and imagination. Why so many of us loved watching him play. One of the all time greats. Excellent video.

[kwazilucas]

I will always have respect for Wayne Rooney. He was such a great player.

[Krudley]

Even now I struggle to wrap my head around Rooney. Watched his entire career. Knew he was great. Felt like he could have been greater but see what we've got today and there's nobody quite like him in the Premier League anymore. Admire his talent, wonder what if, rinse and repeat. I can't help but feel his legacy - specifically United - will get bigger as the years pass.

[ManUtd-Gerrard]

Wayne Rooney was Utd & Eng’s top scorer yet we often feel he never quite reached his absolute best & that’s the incredible part..he did all that despite setbacks & never being a selfish player. Imagine that Rooney was more than just a goal scorer. He was in every sense a complete team player. Whether it was assisting his strike partners tracking back defensively or playing wherever the team needed him he did it without hesitation. He wasn’t just a forward he was an identity. For me Utd from 2000-2015 was Wayne Rooney. He was like a storm unpredictable powerful & impossible to ignore. Some players shine like fireworks dazzling for a moment before fading. But Rooney was a bonfire burning bright non stop & everlasting. You could feel his presence even when he wasn’t scoring. He broke records in an era when football had evolved..when strikers weren’t out-of-shape men who smoked heavily. He became Eng’s top scorer despite playing in some of the most underwhelming national teams & yet he still feels underrated because too many remember the fading years & forget the peak. When the Epl went truly global Rooney was its poster boy. Ask any kid from Asia in the 2000s to name a Utd player & they’d say Rooney. He won everything there is to win at club level while being instrumental throughout since the age of 16 & yet his decline was sharp & difficult to watch. He burned out towards the end of his Utd days but even then he adapted transitioning from striker to midfielder & revealing his incredible passing range. The younger generation might not understand his greatness. They didn’t see the fearless teenager who took on the world who carried Utd on his back. The amount of disrespect he receives today is painful to see. Man scored the best goal I’ve ever seen live against City. I still remember him arguing with the ref turning around & smashing it into the top corner in pure anger. That was Rooney passion power & unpredictability in one. Truly sad that some only saw the final chapters of his story because when Rooney was at his best he wasn’t just a player he was a storm. & when a storm rages you don’t just watch it. You feel it. And when that storm fades away what’s left is a quiet stillness..a reminder of the power it once held, now gone but never forgotten.

[pkpimp]

His DC united 50 yd track back slide tackle in stoppage time to a 40 yd assist is still one of the greatest plays I’ve ever seen on a football pitch

[jerryrikki]

A friendly reminder Wayne Rooney was the best 18 year old in football history

[callumcruickshank]

United fans love him. Ultimate team player. Would stick a tackle in, would run all game, great passer, could play upfront or in that 10 role, great set piece taker and christ he could score a goal or two....

[false]

I follow football for 25 years now, and I can honestly say Wayne Rooney is one of the greatest players I've seen. I am not massive PL fan, and I pretty much dont care about United, but man ... WR was I N S A N E !

[someenchilada]

‘Over the moon, we’ve got the roon.’ So unique. I wonder how many people remember the ridiculous corner he gave away during his debut that night against fenerbace. Scores a crazy hat trick on debut and gives away an absolutely wild corner. What a player.

[sgdsuy]

Rooney doesn’t get the flowers that he deserves. He was a legit all-time great and is in the conversation for top 10-15 players ever

[sukottodja]

One of my favourite Rooney moments was his run in the 2016 FA Cup Final that lead to our equaliser. 1-0 down with 81 minutes on the clock and, from near the half-way line he just drives past 4-5 Palace players into their box and sends in a cross that Fellaini brings down for Mata to smash home the vital equaliser.

[tengille]

He kept it up in his short stint in the US as well. His biggest highlight from MLS is tracking a player 40 yards, slide tackle to get the ball back and sending in a last minute cross that met a head for the win.