Everton boss Sam Allardyce reckons that Wayne Rooney still has a future with the club. According to recent reports, the English forward was left frustrated when he was substituted by the Toffees manager during the Merseyside derby versus Liverpool last weekend. Big Sam has recently addressed speculation regarding the forward’s future and was quoted to have said,
“Oh yes, there’s no doubt about that.
“The situation is it’s his first season, it’s been difficult for everybody. There’s been, obviously, lots and lots of changes, not just behind the scenes with myself and the staff, but lots of changes with the players.
“We have to get that stability back, which I think we are slowly but surely doing, and then we have to look at what this summer will bring and what next season will bring.”
Rooney signed for the Blues of Merseyside last summer on a free transfer from Manchester United. He has gone on to make 37 appearances for the Toffees this season, finding the back of the net 11 times while providing 3 assists in all competitions. However, he has struggled to find an identity in this Everton side which has led to him playing in multiple positions across the pitch.
Allardyce’s side are currently in the 9th position in the Premier League table with a tally of 41 points after Gameweek 33. They still have a minute chance of ensuring a top 7 finish in the league at the end of this season but are still 8 points adrift of 7th placed Burnley going into the final few matches of the campaign.
The departure of Rooney could leave the Toffees squad significantly depleted ahead of the new season as they look to close the gap between themselves and the Premier League ‘Big Six’ in the coming years. The English forward is highly versatile and can play in a number of different positions across the pitch. Rooney can be deployed as a centre-forward or on either flank or as a centre midfielder which makes him an ideal fit for the Toffees.
However, at 32, he is slowly heading towards the twilight of his career which means that the Merseysiders could look part ways with him soon. Allardyce clearly didn’t fancy trusting Rooney during the second half of their game against Liverpool, which indicates that he might try to ship him out in the summer. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Rooney and whether he ends up leaving Goodison Park in the summer.
