I’M WITH ROO ALL THE WAY
Wayne admits being United skipper is a tough job and reveals: I’ve given some help to Harry ...the incident in Greece and on football as well
WAYNE ROONEY has revealed he is helping Harry Maguire
deal with the pressure and expectation of being Manchester United captain.
Maguire is enduring a crisis of form and confidence and is under pressure to keep his place in Ralf Rangnick’s side after a succession of poor performances.
The England defender has had a season to forget and his miserable campaign continued with a calamitous display in United’s 1-1 draw at Burnley on Tuesday night.
He was culpable for Burnley’s equaliser and lucky not to be shown a red card for hauling back goalscorer Jay Rodriguez as the striker surged towards the United goal. Off the pitch, Maguire was involved in an altercation with police on the Greek island of Mykonos in 2020, leading to his conviction (below, left) for aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery.
His legal team launched an appeal, which is still ongoing, with Rooney revealing he has spoken to the defender to offer him advice.
Ex-united captain Rooney and Maguire share the same management company.
Rooney said: “I’ve spoken to Harry a lot and had very good conversations with him – obviously, with the incident in Greece and things on football as well.
“I speak to Harry on things and try to help him and give him advice, of course.
“But he’s his own person, he’s Manchester United captain in his own right and sometimes you have to go through these moments to improve yourself.”
On United’s current woes, Rooney said the Old Trafford hierarchy need to appoint a permanent boss and give him time to rebuild.
“I think they’re going through a tough period,” said Rooney, speaking at the premiere of a new film on his life and career (below). “You can see a few things off the pitch, but it’s a tough one.
“They’ve tried very experienced managers in Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, David Moyes, then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of their own, and now a more professorial type.
“They need to bring someone in and give them time to build a squad.
“United and Everton are clubs I’d love to manage, but I’ve currently got a commitment to Derby, so my focus has to be on them at the moment.”
‘ROONEY’ is available to watch on Amazon Prime Video from tomorrow.