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Although it's true that Wayne Rooney has lost a lot of speed throughout the years, it's also true that his game style has evolved to turn him into one of the best number 10's in the world. His skill can be considered in par with that of the best players in the world right now, but there has always been a heated debate about his true position on the field. Pundits and football personalities can't decide if he is a striker or a playmaker.
For Dutch legend Ruud Gullit, Rooney is both and he should be left alone with these senseless debates. The Black Tulip told the press that: “I’ve seen so many coaches or managers over the years mess Rooney about. They’ve been juggling him between the No.10 position, the striker’s position or an attacking role from the left. Sir Alex, in the end, used him in that role. I feel that Wayne has never been able to focus on one position during his career. Rooney is a player who could play very well in the No.10 position, as a kind of a fake striker.
“Somehow it was always depending on the players around him, or the way the opposition played, where managers decided to put Rooney in the team. To a certain extent I can see the point of a manager, but for Rooney this has often worked in a negative way. The fact is that that all these changes of positions for him in different games and under different managers led to continuous debates about his ideal role and position. Ever since Rooney started playing at top level, which is most of his career, the media have been wondering ‘Is he a striker or a No.10?’
“In my opinion, it’s a very superficial debate most of the time, as this was mainly instigated by the amount of goals he was scoring. If Rooney didn't score for three weeks, he suddenly was a No.10 again. If he scored two goals as a No.10, he should play as a striker again in the eyes of all the experts in the media. I feel sorry for him as I don’t think Rooney will ever be without this massive debate during the rest of his career. People will never stop discussing his position.”
Photo credit: Manchester United FC
