Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has talked up Wayne Rooney’s ability to play in midfield the deeper he gets into his career.
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Speaking to BT Sport, the 36-year-old explained that Rooney’s intelligence on the pitch will allow him to adapt to a new role as he continues to age, as noted in the video above.
The England captain is nearing 30, and questions will naturally be asked of his ability to play as a lone striker this season given his diminishing pace.
As a result, a switch to midfield would arguably allow him to prolong his career and continue to be effective for United, should he remain there in the coming years.
The former Everton starlet’s distribution and overall ability on the ball would potentially allow him to dictate a game in terms of possession, and similarly to the likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, he may be capable of reinventing himself.
Rooney is a solitary goal behind Denis Law as he edges closer to moving into second place in the club’s all-time scoring list, while he is two behind Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of 38 goals in Europe.
As a result, he may well have an opportunity to improve his respective tallies this season, but with Anthony Martial a more energetic and quick option up front, Louis van Gaal may opt to continue to switch things around and allow Rooney to flourish in a deeper role in the coming months.
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