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Rooney lifts lid on Everton exit, blames Moshiri

Wayne Rooney says it was the owner’s decision for him to leave Everton

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

When Wayne Rooney returned to Goodison Park in 2017 he had been a part of a six-time Premier League winning side at Manchester United, and was recognized as the Three Lions top goal scorer. Not bad for a kid from Merseyside who use to wear his Everton PJs to bed every night.

Unfortunately, the fanfare accompanying a home town hero’s return didn’t last for Rooney and support quickly soured for not only the Everton skipper but the club as a whole.

The 2017/2018 season is one that many of us would rather forget. From fighting relegation to basically anything and everything Sam Allardyce, it was a year that couldn’t end quickly enough.

Simply put it wasn’t a surprise to see the veteran move away from the Grand Old Lady. By the end of the season Rooney had been shuffled between various roles including striker and deep-lying midfielder, and unfortunately during that time his inability to keep up with the league begun to be noticed by all.

All the discontent would come to a head when the Rooney signed for DC United earlier in the year ending the saga that was his failed return home. Shortly after the move was made official, it became evident that parting with the Toffees had left a sour taste in his mouth and we now know why.

Speaking with the Sunday Times, Rooney explained that it was none other then the majority share holder of Everton Football club Farhad Moshiri who wanted him to leave.

“Leaving was the owner’s decision. He knew he was going to bring a lot of players in and wanted to free money up. That’s his decision but I’m disappointed how it happened,”

Clearly Rooney wasn’t ready or happy to leave the club but would he have been capable of playing the fast paced, attacking style of Marco Silva? I don’t think so and I assume neither do you.

As it is with the MLS, older stars of the world game find a place for themselves within it and most carry on being the stars they once were. Rooney is no different and this writer hopes he continues playing well but can also move on from Everton and what could have been.