Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is sure that his old club can catch last season’;s runaway Premier League champions, Manchester City. The club’s all-time top goalscorer, who recently moved to the MLS and made his debut for DC United this past week, left Old Trafford in the summer of 2017 after falling out of favour at the club, and joined Everton only for the Toffees to pave his path to the United States by making it clear that any suitable offer would be accepted.
Still, Rooney seems to be settling into American life well, and assisted his first goal for his new club as DC United beat Vancour 3-1 on Sunday at the Audi Field. From his old team’s perspective, United are attempting to bridge the gap that opened up between themselves and Pep Guardiola’s side last season, with City finishing the campaign 19 points ahead of their cross-town rivals.
“Obviously they can challenge, it’s a massive club. Last year was different because of how well Manchester City did,” he said in an interview with the BBC. “In any other year, they might have won the title. A lot of people looked at what Manchester City did and said Manchester United didn’t play that well.
“But they actually had a good season. Obviously they didn’t win anything but I think they can take confidence from that and I believe they can push Manchester City next season. I saw that people said they weren’t playing the most attractive football. But they scored a lot of goals. I think they are getting there. Hopefully it won’t be long before they win the title again.”
Rooney’s comments come at a time when many United fans are doubting the club’s ability to challenge for the highest honours, both domestically and on the continent. His words won’t suddenly fix the club’s current issues, both on the pitch and off it, but it’s a vote of confidence and a reasoned approach to the situation at a time when many supporters are feeling unsure of what the upcoming season may bring.
