What We Can Learn From THAT Wayne Rooney Assist

Former Everton and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has always been a fighter. England’s all time top goal scorer, Rooney has a habit of putting all off-the-pitch drama to one side, and giving 110% in every match he plays, which earned him the accolade for the national team, as well as surpassing legend Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring tally at Old Trafford with 253 goals. This led Rooney to become one of the most formidable forwards the Premier League has ever seen. Now, Rooney plays for another United, this time in Washington D.C. Having scored on his debut, and created a few more assists in his short MLS career so far, Rooney and his teammates took on Orlando City SC last week in what would prove to be a memorable game.

To recap, United took the lead twice through Luciano Acosta, only for Orlando to equalize both times; quite a feat for them, who not only have struggled for goals this season, but also had been playing with ten men for much of the second half. Earning a corner in the 96th minute, United threw everyone forward, including their goalkeeper, and Rooney was stationed at the edge of the box ready to strike. The corner was whipped in, but was easily cleared, with the ball falling to an unmarked Orlando player, who took off towards the empty D.C. net. Disaster. It looked as if Orlando would steal the win right at the end. However, Rooney was having none of this. Making a surging 70 yard run, having played the full match already, Rooney made a last ditch slide tackle to steal the ball. He then dribbled forward 40 yards, and hit a cross-field 50 yard pass to Acosta who headed in, completing his hat-trick, and giving United all three points. 

So what can we learn from this? Well, it’s clear that Rooney is enjoying himself in MLS, and hopefully he will stick around for a few more years yet. He has also proven that age doesn’t hinder quality, nor should it affect one’s work ethic. This is something worth thinking about for players around his age. There are several leagues around MLS quality who seek out veteran players to help grow their youth, and assist in teaching their homegrown players the skills needed to excel in Europe. 

When there seems to be little left on the table in Europe, aging players should not be afraid to go further afield to keep their careers going. Rooney is not the only player to have this positive effect in MLS, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Villa having similar successes in Los Angeles and New York respectively, and it doesn’t just happen in the US either.  The Chinese Super League and Indian Super League have had some fantastic seasons in recent time, with big name players like Nico Gaitan, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Andrea Orlandi, and Yannick Carrasco calling these divisions home, and helping in the growth of the sport in China and India. FC Barcelona great Andres Iniesta has recently joined Lukas Podolski at J-League team Vissel Kobe, and the pairs’ influence on the Japanese outfit has been immense. The side sit in the top four having finished barely in the top ten last year. Many might think that this is because Rooney, Ibra, and Iniesta simply outplay everyone they face, but upon looking at the stats for Vissel Kobe, as well as those in MLS, the veterans are doing nothing more than instilling a high work ethic in their teammates, which results in more goals, assists, and defensive prowess from these players too. Sure, the stars chip in with moments of brilliance occasionally, but the mindset that they all bring to training sessions, as well as the accountability they ask in their squadmates is much more valuable.

This hard work is something that will hopefully rub off on Rooney’s fellow players at DC United, as well as other players around the league. By watching Rooney put in a shift for 90 minutes, at his age and for a team with whom he has no close partnership with (his only other two teams have been his boyhood club Everton, and Manchester United where he grew to be a star), it just shows how much of a winner he wants to be, regardless of location or affiliation, and this is something that is incredibly valuable to learn as a young player in a developing league. DC United still sit rock bottom of the Eastern Conference, but have taken seven points out of their last three games, and Rooney’s quality and passion seems to have galvanized the squad, who have looked dead-beat all season long. 

If MLS, J-League, and others, continue to develop hungry players at home, and get a little help from some past stars, there is no reason why these leagues cannot blossom into the competitive, quality divisions that grace Europe, and can then attract some of Europe’s elite coaches, and players who are not at the end of their careers. If this were to happen, the soccer world would certainly look a much more diverse, interesting, competitive place, and in the lead up to the first 48 team World Cup, this would be very intriguing and exciting.