IT’S ROO- S - A! WAYNE SEALS HIS DC DEAL
WAYNE ROONEY yesterday completed his move to DC United and touched down Stateside to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract worth £12.5million.
The 32-year- old said moving to America completed ‘another career ambition’ and expressed his excitement at making his debut, which is expected to come against the Vancouver Whitecaps on July 14.
It is understood there is no transfer fee attached to the move but an agreement has been reached over the remaining year of Rooney’s £ 140,000- per- week Everton contract.
Sportsmail revealed Rooney’s intentions to sign for DC United on May 9 after Everton decided the former England captain could leave the club. Rooney toured the US side’s facilities a fortnight later and was last night back across the Atlantic, arriving in Washington to be greeted by fans.
He will officially join the club when the MLS transfer window opens on July 10 but is expected to be unveiled on Monday. His debut is set to coincide with the opening of DC’s £ 140m new stadium, Audi Field.
The club wanted a marquee name to mark the occasion and they have broken their salary record to ensure Rooney’s capture. ‘ It is fantastic to be joining DC United at such an exciting time in the club’s history with the new stadium opening in just a few weeks,’ Rooney said.
‘Moving to America and MLS fulfils another career ambition for me. I have the hunger to be a success here and will give DC 100 per cent — as I have always done for every team I have ever played for.
‘ When I visited earlier this summer I was really impressed with everyone I met connected with the club, and of course the new Audi Field. now I can’t wait to get on the pitch in a United shirt and join my new teammates to bring success to this club.’
Jason Levien, DC’s chief executive who also co- owns Swansea City, said: ‘This is a seminal moment for our fans and organisation. Wayne is a global soccer icon and his presence at DC United will elevate our product on the pitch and soccer as a whole in our city and in this country.
‘Wayne has thrived when competing at the most elite levels of soccer and we’re thrilled to have his leadership as we enter this new era at Audi Field.’
David Beckham, who made a similar high-profile switch to MLS in 2007 by joining LA Galaxy, said: ‘It’s great for Wayne. I also think it’s great for the league.
‘I think it’s the right move for him. I think he’ll do really well. I think DC is the right club for him. I think it’s a great city for him to move with his family and enjoy the time that he’s going to be there.’
Rooney announced the news on Twitter by posting a picture of himself strapped into a plane seat giving the camera a thumbs-up, beneath emojis of an aeroplane and the US flag. He went with his agent Paul Stretford.
He leaves the Premier League as its second top scorer with 208 goals.