How much use will Roo be?

> Striker will be an Everton player again next season – but his glory days are long gone <

Gaal’s United and was part of the problem, not the solution, for England at Euro 2016.

Jose Mourinho showed up at Old Trafford last year knowing he had to gradually phase Rooney out and promised that he would never play him in midfield either. But even then Mourinho did not know quite what to do with Rooney.

He is not sharp enough in the box to play as a No. 9 any more but nor could he play with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, as the pairing was too slow. But then Mourinho did not want him in his high-energy physical midfield either.

By the end of the season, with Mourinho focusing on the Europa League, Rooney was increasingly part of Mourinho’s Premier League B Team. And he never looked like he could cut it. His displays in the big away defeats at Arsenal and then Tottenham in early May were those of a player whose time at the top end of the top flight is up.

At the Emirates Alex OxladeChamberlain tore through him just like Rooney used to do to 30something opponents back in an Everton shirt.

That is what Rooney will be wearing again next season. He could have taken far more money and a far lower standard in the Chinese Super League but he will be staying in England and should be applauded for that. But it is impossible not to wonder how much use he will be for Ronald Koeman’s Everton next season.

Everton’s success last year was built on the supreme physical power of Romelu Lukaku up front and if Lukaku goes to Chelsea 0r United, there is no way that Rooney will be able to replace that.

Sandro Ramirez, signed from under the noses of the transfer-banned Atletico Madrid, will surely lead the line if Lukaku leaves. Rooney could conceivably partner Sandro but pragmatic Koeman is likelier to prefer strong midfield support, from Tom Davies, Davy Klaassen and, if he stays, Ross Barkley.

Then they have Yannick Bolasie, Kevin Mirallas and Ademola Lookman to play on the wings.

So it certainly remains to be seen what Koeman will do with Rooney on the pitch. Of course he has a Europa League campaign to run as well and in Rooney has a man who has won one Champions League final and lost two others, even before this year’s Europa League final, giving him an unmatchable experience in European football. If Koeman wants to turn Everton into a winning team again, having someone who has won the lot will help immensely. It is not a squad stuffed with winners, even with Klaassen’s three Dutch titles at Ajax. But on the pitch at Goodison Park, in the Premier League, against top opponents? Where Rooney made his name 15 years ago, at the age of 16, playing for David Moyes? Those days are over, no matter how helpful or important his simple presence might be. – The Independent