Espn did a feature on him the other day. A few pundits said at his best he could have played in any team in the world. I’d agree with that. I mean to be United’s all time leading goal scorer while only being the main goal option for a short time is incredibly impressive. His best quality was his selflessness which came with his football intelligence. Look at his strike partners. Van Nistelrooy, Saha, Tevez, Berbatov, Chicharito, Van Persie. All very different and he adjusted him game to play with all of them. His best role was always as a second striker. He could do it all. Score, pass, defend, good in the air. Young Rooney had a street style to his game that was hard to match. There are plenty of stories of him scoring the winner for Everton then going to the local park to play in a pickup game later. His temper got the best of him sometimes but that’s what endeared him to fans. His best partner was Tevez. That 2008 United team is still the best I’ve seen apart from Barcelona. Ronaldo, Rooney, and Tevez all running at defenders. Terrifying.
Some people think he under achieved. I can see that line of thinking because 18 year old Rooney was a phenom that is rarely seen. But again, United’s and England’s all time leading scorer. At the club level, won everything there was to win. But the combination of miles, bad genetics, and a less than ideal lifestyle made him flame out earlier than expected. However it’s also unfair to compare him to Ronaldo and Messi who are machines. Rooney played at the highest level of football from age 16 to 31. That’s a 15 year career.
If I had to pick a top ten best moments of being a fan. I’m sure he’s in nearly all of them.