Rooney bags award as resurgence continues
LONDON: Wayne Rooney has been awarded the Premier League goal of the month trophy for his wonderful strike for Everton against West Ham.
The former England captain finished November in stunning style, scoring a hat-trick against West Ham at Goodison Park that was capped off by a wonder strike from his own half.
And he has rolled back the years since, scoring against Newcastle in mid-week and in the Merseyside derby last weekend.
The strike against West Ham came after a poor clearance from Joe Hart, who had come rushing out of his net to knock the ball away. It fell to the feet of Rooney, who pinged it towards the net with his right boot.
There was a desperate attempt from Angelo Ogbonna to reach the ball, but it flew over his head and landed in the back of the net in front of the Gwladys Street end.
“It’s one of — if not the best — goal I’ve ever scored,” he told Everton’s official website after the goal. “I think I hit it as well as I’ve ever kicked a football!’
Everton assistant manager Craig Shakespeare also recently commented: “I’m very impressed with Wayne.”
“We know what his pedigree is about but his goalscoring record of late is very, very good.
“To score the winner, being in the right place at the right time last night, obviously he is in a purple patch but the team as well is performing well.”
Meanwhile, Yannick Bolasie could make his long-awaited return to Everton’s first team squad tomorrow after Sam Allardyce gave the most upbeat bulletin of the past 12 months.
The Congolese winger has not featured for Everton since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and damaged his medial ligament and meniscus during a 1-1 draw with Manchester United in December 2016.
It has been a long road back for Bolasie but he had a 30-minute run out for Everton’s Under 23s against Leicester on Monday and played for them again on Friday in the Premier League International Cup against Dynamo Zagreb.
Should Bolasie come through that assignment without suffering any reaction, Allardyce will give serious consideration to including him in his group for their assignment against Swansea at Goodison Park. Daily Mail