Van Gaal Praises Rooney's Adaptability

Louis van Gaal believes that Wayne Rooney’s positional adaptability makes him a vital cog in the new Manchester United machine.

The captain's winter transition to a role in midfield has been seamless, with a strike after surging forward against Liverpool in December demonstrating he can still score goals while playing behind the front line. Such displays, coupled with a clear willingness from Rooney to perform wherever required, have impressed his manager.

“I don’t think that he has ever complained about where he has to play,” said van Gaal, when asked about Wayne by the Sunday newspapers. “I also thinks he likes playing in midfield because he’s on the ball more often, so he’s enjoying it. Not many players can play in so many positions like Rooney because he is a multipurpose player.

“I look at the qualities of the players and where the player can perform better for himself because then he has a major contribution for the team. That is what I’m saying to Wayne, ‘Your contribution now is bigger when you play on the right.’ Why? 'Because then you can cross the ball, you can pass the ball better because you are on the right side and you can prepare for the overlaps of Antonio Valencia.'

“When we play with three defenders and four midfielders then maybe inside left is better for him. But in this system where you have to also go on the wing and allow for overlapping, then I need a right-footed midfielder and that’s why, for example Rooney is going from the left midfield to the right midfield. I play Adnan Januzaj there now because he is left-footed and he has the skill to dribble and cross. Every system has its own arguments on why a particular player can play in one position.”

Rooney represents a vital ingredient for the Reds as van Gaal looks to boost the flexibility of his side in a bid to regularly surprise opponents with fluid, changing styles. The manager referred to his success with such a model at home in Holland, where he adapted the roles of some of the country’s biggest stars.

“Edgar Davids was a left winger and I made him a midfielder. Michael Reiziger was a no.10 and I made him a full-back. Frank Rijkaard, a no.6, came as a right midfielder and I made him a centre-half in my winning team, for example.

“I like multipurpose players because then you can vary your team more and you are more unpredictable for your opponent because you are changing the players' positions. That’s why I like that, that’s why I had a team at Ajax that the opponent didn’t know anymore.

"That is also possible with Rooney, for example. And now I’m creating that a little bit with Januzaj and Angel Di Maria because they can play the positions that they play in now. Maybe that is the solution, we have to wait and see. It’s difficult because I have to develop this in a season, but in spite of that, we are third [in the league].”