Focus On Rooney On His Special Night

With Wednesday’s game played in the name of club captain Wayne Rooney, it was little surprise that he came out to a guard of honour, with both sets of players lining the pitch at the end of the tunnel and applauding him onto the field.

Early on, Rooney made it evident that he wanted to impose himself on the game, playing in behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he was getting stuck in and winning the ball back for his side. As the half reached its midway point, Rooney was still playing a role in limiting Everton possession, including a neat touch under pressure to shake off Leighton Baines.

United’s number 10 was also a creative force, with a link-up between Rooney and Ibrahimovic producing a glimpse of a potentially mouth-watering partnership, as the two played as if they had been doing so for more than a couple of weeks. The first real chance for the Reds came from the aforementioned pair, with Rooney playing a slick through ball to the Swede, forcing Maarten Stekelenburg in the Everton goal to make a save. Before the half was out, Rooney again played a team-mate in behind, this time Anthony Martial the recipient, and also found Ibrahimovic via a cross, although the shot was again repelled by Stekelenburg.

There was a nice moment when Rooney approached the Everton fans as he went to take a corner and received a warm reception from his former club's followers. Not to be outdone, United's fans kept up the applause for their captain.

Rooney departed just eight minutes into the second half, with Jose Mourinho no doubt thinking ahead to the Community Shield on Sunday. Wayne left the field to a standing ovation that saw both sets of supporters and even some in the press box on their feet. Once off the field, Rooney watched the rest of proceedings from the bench, alongside his son Kai, with both seemingly enjoying the remainder of the action.

At full time, Rooney took to the field again, thanking the crowd for their support, not only on the night but also throughout his time at the club, adding he wanted to build on his success with the Reds. All in all, it was a special night for Rooney, who looked eager and ready to get the new campaign under way.