“It’s a bad position to be in” – Rooney offers transfer advice to Manchester United duo Mason Greenwood and Harry Maguire
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney recently offered advice to both Mason Greenwood and Harry Maguire, advising them to move away from Old Trafford this summer.
The Red Devils suspended Greenwood in January 2022 after he was arrested for alleged domestic abuse and threats to kill. While all charges were dropped this February, he hasn't trained or played with the club as they continue their own internal investigation.
With the 21-year-old's future up in the air, Rooney believes he should leave United to revive his career. He spoke to David Ornstein (via Utd District):
“It leaves Mason Greenwood in a position where he is stuck. So for Mason, it’s a bad position to be in because I’m sure he just wants to play football. But for the club, its image and ensuring they make the right decisions, it’s almost a catch-22."
“I think the best thing for Mason now is to get out of the club and go and develop somewhere else," he added. "He needs to get back playing because it has been a long time. With everything that has happened and how long the internal investigation has taken, it’s probably got to a place now where Mason just needs to go and play and to try and get his career back on track."
Wayne Rooney also offered transfer advice to Manchester United outcast Harry Maguire. The 30-year-old was recently stripped of his captaincy after failing to impress Erik ten Hag last season.
Maguire was reportedly left angry by this and Rooney believes he should also move on:
“To have the armband taken off you, how does he move forward with the club? That shows the manager really doesn’t believe in him. It leaves Harry in a position where he has to think on what he does moving forward. The manager has shown he is not part of the plans."
“I’m sure Harry will want to go and play — for himself, for his England career — to put himself in the best position to be as successful as he can. The best thing now is probably for him to move," he added.
Maguire is set to join his teammates for the club's pre-season tour in the United States, while Greenwood won't be joining.
How good was Mason Greenwood for Manchester United before his suspension?
Mason Greenwood was on the path to being a Manchester United superstar before his suspension. Let's take a look at his rise and impact at Old Trafford before he was arrested last January:
Similar to Marcus Rashford, Greenwood began his youth career with Manchester United, rising up the ranks between 2007 and 2018. He made his senior debut for the club in March 2019 against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the UEFA Champions League at the age of 17. Hence, he became the second-youngest player to represent the Red Devils in Europe.
The 21-year-old made a name for himself the following season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In total, he made 129 appearances, scoring 35 goals, showing how deadly he was as a goal-scoring right-winger.
Manchester United have missed his presence on the pitch with Antony struggling to fill the void left in Greenwood's absence.