Wayne
Rooney handed in a transfer request at Goodison Park after rejecting a
club-record contract offer from Everton before joining Manchester United in
2004
Wayne Rooney says that winning a trophy with
Everton "would be the pinnacle" after rejoining them from Manchester
United.
Rooney's 13-year stint at United included five
Premier League titles, three League Cups, one FA Cup, one Champions League and
one Europa League.
He wants Everton to win their first major
trophy since the 1995 FA Cup.
"This football club should be winning
trophies and we're taking huge steps to try to win trophies," said Rooney.
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Asked what it would mean to win silverware
with Everton, Rooney added: "That would be the pinnacle because I remember
the FA Cup final in 1995, I was there as a nine-year-old, and for that to be
the last trophy... Everton should have won more trophies since then."
Everton, who have spent more than £90m in the
summer transfer market, have agreed a deal to acquire land in Liverpool on
which to build a new £300m stadium.
Rooney, whose return to Goodison Park on a
two-year contract was announced on Sunday, added:
"With the new stadium in the pipeline, it's an exciting time to be an
Everton player, to be an Everton fan.
"It's on us players to make those times
even more exciting by giving them good performances and try to help them be
successful and bring trophies to the club.
"I firmly believe we have the potential
to be a success in the league and there are the cup competitions. We're
certainly capable of winning one of those cups."
The 31-year-old will wear the number 10 shirt,
which belonged last season to Romelu Lukaku, who is set to sign for Manchester United for an initial £75m.
Rooney is Everton's sixth signing since the
end of the 2016-17 season, when they finished seventh in the Premier League.
In
addition to former England captain Rooney, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, England
defender Michael Keane, Netherlands midfielder Davy Klaassen and forwards
Sandro Ramirez and Henry Onyekuru have
also joined Everton this summer.
"Winning
trophies with Everton would be the pinnacle," said Rooney, who played 559
times for United, scoring a club record 253 goals.
"I
really feel now the club is moving in the right direction, bringing the right
calibre of players in. I want to be part of it and hopefully part of a
successful Everton team."
Rooney,
who has 53 goals from 119 England caps, will not have long to wait before
returning to Old Trafford. Everton are scheduled to visit United in the Premier
League on 17 September.
|
Rooney's dwindling
Premier League appearances
|
||||
|
Games
played
|
Minutes
|
Games
started
|
Sub
appearances
|
|
|
2013-14
|
29
|
2,448
|
27
|
2
|
|
2014-15
|
33
|
2,876
|
33
|
0
|
|
2015-16
|
28
|
2,410
|
27
|
1
|
|
2016-17
|
25
|
1,539
|
15
|
10
|
'Smart Wayne is back home'
Everton
boss Ronald Koeman believes Rooney's vast experience will be invaluable in a
dressing room short of title winners.
"No-one
in the team except Gareth Barry [Manchester City] and Davy Klaassen [Ajax] have won titles,"
said Koeman. "Don't forget the experience he will give to the rest of the
team.
"Wayne,
of course, is still competitive - he will be a competitor always - and he wants
to play at the highest level that is possible for him.
"It's
his home and he likes competition, he likes pressure.
"His
main qualities are his quality on the ball, his experience and what I describe
as his winning mentality.
"Everybody
knows he can play out of different positions up front. He's a smart player.
He's an experienced football player and that helps everybody."
'I've been wearing
Everton pyjamas for years'
Rooney
said it was good to wear the Everton shirt again after 13 years in the red of
United.
However,
he revealed in an interview with Everton TV that
he has been secretly wearing blue at home at night.
"I've
kept it quiet for the last 13 years but I've actually been wearing Everton
pyjamas at home with my kids," added Rooney. "I had to keep that a
bit quiet!
"Wearing
the shirt feels as special as it did 13 years ago and I'm just looking forward
now to getting out on the pitch with it on."
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