Does Mourinho’s Manchester United have room for this 30-year-old veteran?

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“Maybe he is not a striker any more. Maybe he is not a number 9 anymore but he will never, with me, be a number 6. He will never be 50 metres from the goal. For me he will be a number 9 or a number 10 or a nine-and-a-half, but with me he will never be a number 6 or even a number 8.”

Jose Mourinho made it quite clear in his very first press conference as Manchester United boss – Wayne Rooney has no future as a midfielder at Old Trafford.

It was only three years ago that the back pages were covered in stories linking Mourinho with a big money move to bring the England captain to Stamford Bridge, and it now seems that the Portuguese boss could be the man to put an end to Rooney’s Old Trafford career for different reasons.

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If Mourinho doesn’t see Rooney as a midfielder, he has stiff competition for a starting role up front. With Zlatan Ibrahimovic the marquee signing so far this summer, he seems certain to start with the Swede. That leaves the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial competing, possibly playing either side of Zlatan, but leaves little room for Rooney, who scored just eight goals last season, failing to break into double figures for the first time since he signed for the Red Devils.

Some have suggested that Rooney could play behind a central striker, but even then, a starting place is far from guaranteed. Another major signing this summer, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, will be fighting for game time in a similar role and is far more likely to suit such a position. The thought of Rooney playing off Zlatan Ibrahimovic may strike fear into the hearts of Premier League defenders, but it would be far from the complete package.

Both Rooney and Zlatan lack pace, and whilst they are certainly strong and powerful, it is hard to imagine a United front line with such a shortage of pace whilst the likes of Rashford and Martial sit out. As one of the bigger egos in the United squad, it could well also be interesting to see how Rooney adapts to the arrival of Zlatan, who already enjoys a great relationship with the new boss.

Another option may be to try to move Rooney out wide, but for a player with such little pace and lacking the stamina required, that too seems unlikely, particularly with much more natural fits in the United squad.

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So, where does his future lie? Well, when you look at United’s best eleven, there seems to be little room for Wayne Rooney in the starting line up. It seems unlikely that at 30-years-old, he will be keen to sit on the bench, and having previously said that he feels a deeper role could help him to prolong his career, it is yet to be seen if he will be happy with Mourinho’s take on his situation.

If Rooney is unhappy on the bench or with limited game time, he could well look for a move elsewhere. On such huge wages, there are few sides who would be able to afford the Englishman, and a move abroad may even seem an option. Although at 30, it will most likely seem too early for Rooney to try a move to China or the USA as other ageing stars have done.

It would be a bold move for Mourinho to even attempt to move the club captain and fan favourite on this early into his time at the club, and would certainly please his critics who claim that he does not fit ‘the United way’. Nevertheless, he has shown he wouldn’t be afraid to do so – just ask Iker Casillas.

Mourinho is a known admirer of the England captain, who will be hoping to impress in pre-season. This is something that he will have to if he is going to retain a first team spot at Old Trafford in the coming seasons.

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