Wayne Rooney to China: Manchester United captain is ready to quit Old Trafford for £1million-a-week move to Chinese Super League
The England skipper was keen to finish his club career at the Theatre of Dreams but is ready to cash in on the final years of his career
WAYNE ROONEY is ready to quit Manchester United this summer for a mega final payday in China.
Ambitious Far-East clubs are willing to pay Roo as much as £1MILLION a week to join.
That could tempt him to the Chinese Super League after a lack of offers from American MLS teams.
The Manchester United and England skipper was keen to finish his club career at Old Trafford.
But having now beaten Sir Bobby Charlton’s United goal record he is ready to leave in search of first-team football.
And Rooney, 31, is also aware he needs to cash in on his final few playing years.
Opting for a mega-money switch to China is made easier by the fact he is no longer first choice for either club or country.
Roo hoped to start Thursday’s EFL Cup semi-final second leg at Hull, with his side already 2-0 up.
But he was on the bench again as United stumbled into the final despite a 2-1 defeat.
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My View: By Neil Custis
NOBODY can blame Wayne Rooney for taking the final big pay day in China.
It is sad to see such an exciting, explosive footballer reduced to a bit-part player watching on from the bench.
He has a role now where he is asked to come and do something in the second-half. He starts the odd game here and there, but not the big ones.
His late free-kick against Stoke last weekend was just a blast of his right boot from the past.
Such special moments used to be a regular occurrence.
Rooney battles on, hoping he can force his way back into the side, dreaming of another two seasons after this.
In truth he knows it is not going to happen.
There are new players in town — and there will be more.
He has done his job and done it superbly well.
Rooney deserves a statue at Old Trafford for reaching the 250-goal milestone that makes him the club’s all-time leading goalscorer ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton.
He could go to China and shine again. He will earn an incredible amount of money — and might even enjoy it.
If he chooses to, nobody can deny him.
We do not want to see Wayne Rooney as a spectator, we want to see him kicking a football — even if it is in China.
Rooney has only 18 months left on his current £250,000-a-week deal and United do not seem keen to take up their option to extend it for a year.
Rooney will start tomorrow when United host Wigan in the FA Cup fourth round.
He said: “My whole life has been around football and I would like to stay in the game and hopefully manage.
“When you get older you start to think a bit more about the game. It’s something I fancy.”