Former England superstar Wayne Rooney will be taking his talents to the United States, as he has completed a move from English Premier League club Everton to DC United of Major League Soccer.
Both clubs confirmed that a transfer agreement had been reached on Thursday, with the Washington Post reporting that Rooney would earn about $13 million over the course of a two-and-a-half year contract.
Rooney Boasts Prolific Scoring Record
The 32-year-old Rooney is one of the most prolific scorers in English soccer history. He scored 53 goals for England in 119 appearances with the national team, more than any other player. He also scored 183 EPL goals for Manchester United between 2004 and 2017, the most of any player for any single club in EPL history.
Combined with his time at Everton, Rooney has 208 Premier League goals, second only to Alan Shearer, who scored 260.
Rooney, who can play either as a striker or as an attacking midfielder, can’t officially join the team until the US transfer window opens on July 10, and is expected to make his MLS debut on July 14 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. It will mark the birth of a new era for D.C. United, as that will also be the first match in the club’s new stadium, Audi Field.
“Wayne is undoubtedly one of the best players in Premier League history and his goal scoring record for club and country speaks for itself,” DC United General Manager Dave Kasper said in a statement. “We are beyond excited to add someone of Rooney’s caliber, and we are thrilled to welcome him to DC.”
Can Rooney Help DC United Regain Former Glory?
DC United will need Rooney to play well in order to start to regain the status they once enjoyed in MLS. The team was the dominant force in the early years of the league, winning three of the first four MLS Cups, then winning another in 2004.
But DC United has experienced only intermittent successes since then, and is coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history. In 2017, the club finished last in the Eastern Conference, sharing last place overall with the LA Galaxy. The team isn’t doing any better this year, collecting just 10 points in their first 12 matches.
There have been many aging European stars who have come over to MLS over the years, with varying levels of success. The most notable was David Beckham, who made a move to the United States in 2007. Beckham says he thinks Rooney will do well in America.
“I think it’s great for Wayne. I also think it is obviously great for the league, but I think for Wayne personally,” Beckham told MLS. “I think it’s exciting for the fans.”
Given how much the squad has struggled over the past two seasons, it’s unlikely that even an in-form Rooney will suddenly turn DC United into a championship contender. Bookmakers didn’t move the team’s odds much in the wake of the news: at Sky Bet, United is still a 200/1 longshot to win the MLS Cup this year.