Wayne Rooney - Manchester United Legend

Do you consider Rooney to be a United legend?

  • Total voters
    1,610
Good Poll - Shows that of the Forum Membership:

85.8% are Man Utd Fans
14.2% are From Other Teams Supporters

If you don't think Rooney is a legend, you need to purchase a dictionary and look up the definition of the word Legend.
 
Just watching all of his goals for United on MUTV. He'd easily be worth over a 100 Million in this market. Also kissed the badge multiple times including against Everton. I think he's telling fibs he wore Everton's pyjamas all those years.
 
Sultan said:
Just watching all of his goals for United on MUTV. He'd easily be worth over a 100 Million in this market. Also kissed the badge multiple times including against Everton. I think he's telling fibs he wore Everton's pyjamas all those years.
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Watching it myself , some cracking goals .
 
wr8_utd said:
He's the last player I'll ever be this huge a fan of ever. The way players come and go nowadays and the way football is headed, it's just not going to happen. The way Ruud left was horrible and this is about a million times worse. Farewell Legend!
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He left lifting the only trophy that he failed to win for United in club football. Ok, he barely played towards the end but it wasn't the worst send off.

Ruud left in a very undignified way. He was left out of the squad for the last game of the season v Charlton in what was a message from Fergie.

Absolutely ruthless.
 
Of course he's a legend. Anyone who doesn't think so it applying some arbitrary, personal definition of the word. Asking to leave doesn't diminish his status. Ronaldo wants to leave Madrid every year.
 
Someone mentioned it earlier, but there's a certain amusing irony in people using his apparent disloyalty and indiscipline as a reason why he doesn't belong in the same category as players they never saw, and evidently know little about. George Best, for example, was frequently disciplined and fined for turning up to training (and occasionally even games) hungover or drunk, or not turning up at all! He even threatened to retire - twice! - in an attempt to sack off his obligations to the club, and left under a cloud in the season we were relegated. Yet he's rightly remembered as a top tier legend for the good things he did for us on the pitch, rather than the years of not giving a shit. Even watching people try to casually handwave the likes of Ronaldo, Rio or Keane flirting with other clubs as all kinds of different gravy is kinda cringey.

If we applied the same shifting subjective criteria to all our supposed legends we'd likely be left with just Sir Bobby and Scholes.
 
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He is right up there among the likes of Giggs and Scholes.
 
Of course he's a legend. Devoted to the club, worked his bollix off when he was a superstar in positions that didn't suit him, not a word to the press. Nothing has come close to the excitement I felt at that European debut. The fact that he's proved himself to be human doesn't detract from the enjoyment he's given me.
 
Mockney said:
If we applied the same shifting subjective criteria to all our supposed legends we'd likely be left with just Sir Bobby and Scholes.
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Oldham fan, apparently he doesn't qualify for legendary status as a result.
 
Bit surprised to see how one sided the poll is TBH - I voted 'No' for obvious reasons

great player for us no doubt (although he should have gone years ago) but I will never think of him as a 'legend'.
 
has to go down as a legend...won every trophy available , became the leading marksmen in the clubs history , gave 13 years of brilliant service and provided some spectacular individual moments .....

20mill well spent
 
Mockney said:
Someone mentioned it earlier, but there's a certain amusing irony in people using his apparent disloyalty and indiscipline as a reason why he doesn't belong in the same category as players they never saw, and evidently know little about. George Best, for example, was frequently disciplined and fined for turning up to training (and occasionally even games) hungover or drunk, or not turning up at all! He even threatened to retire - twice! - in an attempt to sack off his obligations to the club, and left under a cloud in the season we were relegated. Yet he's rightly remembered as a top tier legend for the good things he did for us on the pitch, rather than the years of not giving a shit. Even watching people try to casually handwave the likes of Ronaldo, Rio or Keane flirting with other clubs as all kinds of different gravy is kinda cringey.

If we applied the same shifting subjective criteria to all our supposed legends we'd likely be left with just Sir Bobby and Scholes.
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And conversely I find it 'kinda cringey' when people try to pretend that what Rooney did was just the same as contract stuff with Rio, Keane etc (there is an argument on Ronaldo) - for me Rooney pushed it too far, crossed a line that the others never did. Fergie was forced to call him out in a public press conference, this never happened with any other player in 26 years under Fergie so ye it was different gravy in my eyes

Also I tend to avoid much discussion about players before my time like Best, however its worth pointing out that he won the Ballon D'or while playing for us - Rooney never reached that kind of level on the pitch so if you are just talking about what they did on the pitch then that is a big difference.
 
Rood said:
And conversely I find it 'kinda cringey' when people try to pretend that what Rooney did was just the same as contract stuff with Rio, Keane etc
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Keane was club captain and threatened, pretty publicly, to walk on a free unless the club more than doubled his wage.....
 
I wanted to check on this thread, more because I am concerned for the mind-set of many United 'supporters' than anything else. Was worried that I would find a large proportion of spoilt idiots with short-term memories.

The poll gives me some hope.

Good luck, Wayne. You gave us the best years of your career and rewarded us with hard work, trophies and the most United goals by any player ever. That record will stand for a long, long time.
I can even forgive you for being an Everton fan at heart, throughout the whole thing.

I anticipate a great reception when he returns to OT.
 
Only behind Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in terms of status. After that, he is easily in the category of Law, Cantona and Keane. So unless one's definition of a legend is narrowed down to 3/4 players in a club's history, I honestly don't see how it's even a discussion for someone with his achievements and numbers.

The stuff about his contract negotiation is just plain ridiculous. You'd be hard pressed to find a big name player who did not go through something similar at one time or another. The worst is the comparison to Ronaldo who actually did leave because he just fancied some other club more.
 
Eyepopper said:
Keane was club captain and threatened, pretty publicly, to walk on a free unless the club more than doubled his wage.....
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Amazing isn't it. You'd think those people started following us yesterday. Some of them mention bloody Ronaldo. The same bloke who did actually leave us and who is throwing a tantrum every summer about how he feels sad.
 
One of the best players in his generation. Our best player for much of 2006-12. If he's not a legend you must be either too young or too old to remember.
 
Eyepopper said:
Keane was club captain and threatened, pretty publicly, to walk on a free unless the club more than doubled his wage.....
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It was never played out in the public back then, there might have been the odd story in the paper but you certainly didnt have Fergie feeling he needed to do press conferences about it - its only really in more recent times with autobiographies etc that we know more of the details about all that.

and anyway neither is Keane a United legend for me, although that is more about his comments since he left the club.
 
Rooney's more of a club legend than Ronaldo ever is. Some people just like to go to the extremes in their criticism (and praise) of him.

I held a lot of resentment for him these past few years, especially for his (and the team's, as a result) underperformances. Moyes and Van Gaal's kissing of his arse while selling off every other attacking players we had didn't help but he did well the majority of the time he was here.

I still don't like him though. It's weird but it is how it is.
 
Rood said:
And conversely I find it 'kinda cringey' when people try to pretend that what Rooney did was just the same as contract stuff with Rio, Keane etc (there is an argument on Ronaldo) - for me Rooney pushed it too far, crossed a line that the others never did. Fergie was forced to call him out in a public press conference, this never happened with any other player in 26 years under Fergie so ye it was different gravy in my eyes
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In your opinion what was it that he did that crossed the line.
 
Fergie didn’t have to go public on either occasion. It was a calculated move on his part. Of course, if Rooney had been a good and humble boy to begin with, it wouldn’t have been necessary to make any move - but having your star man (and his agent) pull something every now and then in order to gain something contract wise is hardly a rare occurrence.

In 2010 Fergie wanted to keep Rooney, but went public because this put pressure on the player and helped speed things up: Make a move. If you really want out, then leave. If not, we can do business - but you better not play at anything below 100%: People now know that you’ve questioned the commitment of others - so you’d better show how committed you, yourself are: Which he did - in fact, Rooney finished the season brilliantly and we won another league.

In 2013 Fergie did not want to keep him, most likely, and went public to prepare the ground for shipping Rooney out.

All business, all football - all part of the job for both Rooney and Fergie. And all largely histrionics in terms of what was made public (it was a contract thing - Rooney apologized to his team mates off camera, and none of them had a problem with him in the dressing room as far as we know, quite to the contrary). But people insist on treating it as a case of high treason that, somehow, went unpunished.
 
Oh, for Frogie's sake :( We're not gonna have 13 years of this debate, are we? Practically no-one is going to have their mind changed now, no matter what arguments are proferred.

For his defenders: his status is secure.
For his critics: he's gone - rejoice.

That's it.
 
Rood said:
Also I tend to avoid much discussion about players before my time like Best, however its worth pointing out that he won the Ballon D'or while playing for us - Rooney never reached that kind of level on the pitch so if you are just talking about what they did on the pitch then that is a big difference.
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Well this is what I mean by shifting subjective criteria. One minute alleged disloyalty and ill discipline can override a decades worth of exceptional service and being our record goalscorer, and another it's fine as long as you've won a French magazine award. Paul Scholes never won a single major personal accolade, but that's because he was patently under appreciated and awards like that are all stupid.. Apart from when our players win them, when they suddenly become inarguably objective measures of their quality.

I'm fine with you not personally thinking Rooney a legend, knock yourself out mate (as I said in an earlier post, you're basically just shouting at the sea, so go for it) but I'm surprised that you're so surprised most people accept it. He quite clearly ticks every conceivable box that any club could potentially judge such a thing by. His black marks are more a product of living in an age where every mistake a player makes is instantly public and indelible, hence my comparison with Best, whose indiscretions have been largely forgotten by posterity, if they were ever even a popular issue at all. And while I'm not trying to claim he's on a par with Georgie at all, Wayne has technically done everything he did, if not more. Scored in a CL Final, 2 League Cup finals, been MOTM in an FA Cup final and scored a league winning goal to boot. None of which would even rank amongst his top 5 moments for the club, which in itself should surely signify a career of some merit?

But I know I'm not gonna change your mind, and that's fine, because he will be considered a legend whether you like it or not. But that shouldn't be a surprise is all. It was always inevitable. The only mild surprise is how quickly it's happened.
 


When you realize you were calling for him to leave for 2 years then feel really sad when it actually happens, not because of football issues but because I really loved all great memories he brought us. :(
 
Anyone that doesn't think he is a legend is an absolute idiot, and has obviously got a personal vendetta against him. Players will threaten to leave all the time and we never hear about it. 13 years at one club and the all time leading goal scorer. If he was at another club and there fans were debating whether he was a legend or not we would think that they were delusional. He is quite obviously a legend it shouldn't even be a debate.
 
Mockney said:
The only mild surprise is how quickly it's happened.
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I still think it’s remarkable that so many, relatively speaking, do have a problem with him - given that he’s been at the club for so many years and played such an important part in our success throughout the latter Fergie era. But then he’s been an odd case in that regard for years now.

Anyway, I’d say that both the poll and the general response to his departure show quite clearly that what we’ve had going on here for a couple of seasons now is mainly a vocal (borderline obsessive) minority making themselves heard in the various “Rooney is so shite these days I can’t believe it” threads. The vast majority don’t bear any ill will towards him and have - I suppose - just accepted his decline in one way or another without letting things turn ugly.
 
Mockney said:
Someone mentioned it earlier, but there's a certain amusing irony in people using his apparent disloyalty and indiscipline as a reason why he doesn't belong in the same category as players they never saw, and evidently know little about. George Best, for example, was frequently disciplined and fined for turning up to training (and occasionally even games) hungover or drunk, or not turning up at all! He even threatened to retire - twice! - in an attempt to sack off his obligations to the club, and left under a cloud in the season we were relegated. Yet he's rightly remembered as a top tier legend for the good things he did for us on the pitch, rather than the years of not giving a shit. Even watching people try to casually handwave the likes of Ronaldo, Rio or Keane flirting with other clubs as all kinds of different gravy is kinda cringey.

If we applied the same shifting subjective criteria to all our supposed legends we'd likely be left with just Sir Bobby and Scholes.
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I get the impression with Rooney that deep down some supporters never liked him and the transfer saga simply served as a vessel for them.

If people really believe that none of the other players in our 2008 squad wanted away in the years following our CL success I think they are kidding themselves.
 
I don't understand all these discussions about him not being a legend for us tbh. He's a legend and that's fact and some posters on internet won't really change that IMO. Everyone know his statue in the club and league it's pointless really to argue otherwise.

I can go on to say he's also one of the legends of EPL in general up there with Giggs, Lampard, Scholes and others. His form in recent years and some problems regarding his transfers ( which SAF let him continue in the club anyway ) will never damage his legacy, sorry everyone.
 
Wayne Rooney leaves Man United as the top goal scorer ever for the greatest club in England. For United fans of my generation, Rooney embodied United. He was the talisman, the figurehead. He was the emotions of the fans translated onto the pitch. Coming in as the most expensive teenager was never easy but he handled it well.Rooney for me was never skillful or technical, he always was about strength, energy and that rawness about him.

When i think of United's golden years after 2007, i don't think of Ronaldo, i think of Rooney coming on after 45mins against Spurs and giving that masterclass. Ronaldo for me was always a passing by phenomenon, Rooney gave me a sense of belonging.
On a personal note, Rooney literally joined United around the time i started watching football. He has always been someone i relate with United.So the tantrums he had about leaving United never really affected me, i considered them mistakes by a 25 year old young man.
Everyone knows that he is the highest goalscorer for United now, but sadly there can be no measuring tool for his inspiring displays over the years when he didn't get a goal or an assist but just his pure energy and enthusiasm to be in the thick of things turned things around for United.
I hope everyone remembers how he was the one who won PLs for UNITED with Nani, Valencia, Fletcher, Cleverley and aging Scholes ,Vidic and Ferdinand around him.

Thanks for the lifetime of memories Captain. For the emotional and diehard fan in me, you will always be the benchmark for future United players. I really hope from the bottom of my heart that you're happy and content wherever you go and whatever you do in life, just because you were the one who got me out of depressions and gloomy moods more often than not
 
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Still waiting in vain, after all these years, for Wayne's defenders to come up more substance than calling critics idiots, delusional, agenda-driven etc etc.

He surely qualifies for the (admittedly rather nebulous) status of club legend so, FFS, just stop trying to coerce critics into thinking as you do; if you're that confident of Rooney's merits, you surely don't need to harangue people who feel differently. You've won the debate via Wayne's statistics & honours list alone, so this tedious back n' forth is pointless.
 
For me he embodied the 'united player' mould the most in the time I've supported the club.

Exceptional goalscorer but above all, the ultimate team player. You want to accommodate tevez and Ronaldo? No problem let's just move him wider and he will score 15 goals. Want to accommodate Berbatov as well? No problem just move him behind the striker and will still score 15 goals Both tevez and ronaldo left? No problem just move him upfront and he scores nearly 30. Want to accommodate RvP di Maria and falcao? no problem just play him deeper and he still scores nearly 15. He even played as a DM in lvg's first season (against Newcastle I think). He was really the versatile man who was also world class upfront. Not to mention his work rate was key too. Never taking a moment's rest.

Regarding his first threat to leave, I think it's telling that within days after the whole thing became public we have him signed to a new contract meaning the club themselves thought they could penny pinch and Rooney won't really be able to do anything.

The second one I don't really believe he wanted to leave. If I remember correctly, mourinho gave an interview saying Rooney has to make his intentions known and had he done that mourinho would have broken transfer records for him. But still he didn't say anything and went about scoring goals for us. Even in our lean years under moyes and lvg's first season he was the most reliable of our players.

So yeah he is a legend
 
He was a legend the moment he dived to win a penalty in the game which ended the Gunner's unbeaten streak at an uneven 49, and stopping them from ever revealing the "50 and not out" t-shirts they all had underneath their kit for the entire match.

And he was absolutely phenomenal and was good enough to lead us to the Champions League trophy in 09-10 were it not for him getting injured towards the end.

But he has has been atrocious for a very very long time now, and it may have been reluctantly able-to-take had he not so publically threatened to leave on more than one occasion. Fergie saw what was happening before anyone, and it took 4 years to finally have a manager with the courage to get rid of him for the benefit of the club.
 
Seems a conclusive victory for the notion he is a legend. That should put the debate to bed in all honesty.
 
Rood said:
And conversely I find it 'kinda cringey' when people try to pretend that what Rooney did was just the same as contract stuff with Rio, Keane etc (there is an argument on Ronaldo) - for me Rooney pushed it too far, crossed a line that the others never did. Fergie was forced to call him out in a public press conference, this never happened with any other player in 26 years under Fergie so ye it was different gravy in my eyes

Also I tend to avoid much discussion about players before my time like Best, however its worth pointing out that he won the Ballon D'or while playing for us - Rooney never reached that kind of level on the pitch so if you are just talking about what they did on the pitch then that is a big difference.
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He only did that because he felt the need to keep him and a tactic like that would work. If Fergie didn't need him, he'd have sold him in the summer itself.
 
Raees said:
Seems a conclusive victory for the notion he is a legend. That should put the debate to bed in all honesty.
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Not really the entire debate. The biggest debate predominantly concerns whether he is just a club legend by virtue of his numbers, or a statue-deserving United legend.

Would be great if the mods could make these two options into a poll, seeing as the current one has been decisive of opinions literally the day he left.
 
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