Wayne Rooney, the legendary former Manchester United striker, has offered a candid assessment of a footballer’s toughest challenge: recognizing when their powers begin to wane. Drawing parallels from his own illustrious career, Rooney suggests that even modern greats like Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk may be grappling with this reality.

“The hardest thing for a player is to understand you may be not at the level you were,” Rooney stated on The Wayne Rooney Show, as reported by BBC Sport. This personal insight stems from his own experience at the pinnacle of the game.

Rooney’s own crossroads at Old Trafford

Rooney himself made the difficult decision to move on from Manchester United in 2017 at the age of 31, returning to Everton. His 13 years at Old Trafford were nothing short of spectacular; he joined for £27m in 2004 and went on to play 559 times, scoring 253 goals to become the club’s all-time leading scorer. His trophy cabinet boasts five Premier League titles, the Champions League, Europa League, and FA Cup.

He reflected on his departure: “I did it at Manchester United when Zlatan Ibrahimovic came in and I wasn’t playing. I wanted to play so I left straight away. I accepted it.”

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Salah and Van Dijk’s current challenges

Now, Rooney points to Liverpool‘s talismanic duo, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, as players potentially facing a similar crossroads. “I said this since the start of the season, age gets to us all and your legs go. I think that’s happened to Salah this season and Virgil van Dijk hasn’t been the same this season,” Rooney continued. He highlighted their crucial roles: “They are the leaders in the dressing room. It’s hard for the other players to go and leave their mark or become the leaders.”

Salah, 33, who is set to depart Anfield after nine trophy-laden years, has experienced a dip in form by his own exceptional standards. This season marks the first time he will play under 30 Premier League games since joining Liverpool and is on course for his first campaign without reaching double figures for league goals, currently sitting on seven goals and six assists.

During his time at Liverpool, Salah has been instrumental in securing two Premier League titles, the Champions League, Fifa Club World Cup, Uefa Super Cup, FA Cup, two EFL Cups, and the Community Shield.

Klopp’s aura and Slot’s task

Rooney also weighed in on the managerial transition at Anfield, expressing admiration for the recently departed Jurgen Klopp, who joined Liverpool in 2015 and led them to their first league title in 30 years in 2020, alongside a Champions League triumph in 2019. Rooney remarked that Klopp was the only Liverpool manager he would have loved to play for, albeit “not for Liverpool, obviously.”

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However, Rooney cast doubt on the immediate impact of Klopp’s successor, Arne Slot. He suggested that Slot “doesn’t have the aura that Klopp has,” noting that what Klopp brought, “even when he’s walking around a restaurant with a bottle of beer, that’s what the people of Liverpool like.”

Sources: www.bbc.com

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