Wayne Rooney scored a wonderful long-range goal in his first game back with Everton.
Everton are in Kenya to take on Gor Mahia, Kenya’s top club, in a preseason friendly. You may have heard by now that Wayne Rooney, of Manchester United and England fame, returned to Goodison Park. Rooney grew up as an Everton fan and started his professional soccer career with the Liverpool club.
Today’s friendly is Rooney’s first time back on the field in an Everton shirt. It only took him 34 minutes to re-open his scoring account with the Toffees. And what a beauty it was.
https://twitter.com/si_soccer/status/885518462344409088
He hit that from all of 30 yards out. And, sure, the keeper was way off his line for no apparent reason and probably should have done better, but that’s a hell of a strike. Manchester United fans are probably staring wistfully at that video, remembering the years of Rooney’s prime when they won the league nearly every season.
Rooney will certainly start for Everton in the Premier League this season, but it’s unlikely he will continually provide moments of magic such as these. He hasn’t hit double-digits in goals since the 2014-15 season and saw his playing time at United steadily decrease over the last few seasons.
But that’s what makes Everton such a good fit for the 31-year-old. On top of returning to his boyhood club to finish his career, he will be in the starting XI on a regular basis. Everton benefit from an uptick in attention and ticket sales, but are also gaining a player that can still make a positive impact.
Next: USA 3-2 Martinique: 3 things we learned
One thing’s for sure: Rooney couldn’t have drawn up a better return to his former club than scoring a long-range stunner. He’s still got a bit of magic in that right foot.