An Open Letter to Mr Rooney

"A player who understands what it is to be an Evertonian, it is in the blood; Once a Blue, Always a Blue... you are that player." - Sorry, but that's laughable. There wasn't a hint of the above when he left and in the years that followed.

Yes, his fee 'saved' the club - though it was nowhere near the amount Kenwright mentioned, 'he's a £50m player' etc- but he showed a complete lack of respect to those who gave him his chance in football and the fans who supported him.

He had his chance to cement a place in Everton folklore, but he spurned it. Few could begrudge the United move, he left to win things and that's the way the game is. The problem is the way he behaved afterwards.

The idea of welcoming him back with open arms borders on insanity. I'd much rather have the service of players such as Arteta and Cahill - they showed more loyalty than this so-called 'Once a Blue, Always a Blue'.

Not that any of this matters mind, there's more chance of us finding investment than Rooney returning.

Would he improve our team?

I can't see it happening, but I'd love it if it did...

There's more of a chance of him coming back after his next big contract, in his early 30s, a parody of the player he once was. His physique / lifestyle will see to that.

Anyway I wouldn't be surprised to see him stay at Man U - they've told him to put a transfer request in writing - so that's that! (Boom boom!)

His transfer is much more than a footballing one, because he is much more than just a footballer. He's a cash-cow, a marketing tool and a product.

At Everton he would not command the same level of marketing prowess, advertising pull or revenue to the companies he's so deeply linked to via sponsorship. These issues are one of the biggest reason that this will not happen until he's seen out either another bumper deal with Utd, or a huge contract with another European club or consistent Champions League team.

Nice sentiment, Andy, but I fear this is massively unlikely to come to fruition.

It won't happen this year but, if he is not sold by Man Utd, he will have 12 months left on his contract... It could happen then.

I would carry him from Manchester on my back if he wanted to come back.

Wages and Agent. Will not happen but would love to see him back.
The lad is not bright unfortunately and doesnt have the accumen to shape his own future.

Rooney epitomises all the things I don't like about football. Disloyalty, gamesmanship, screaming abuse at referees, seedy off field activities, childish temper tantrums etc... This is the kind of guy that the red shite and the mancs employ, a la Rat Boy and Stevie Me.

That and the badge kissing. Sort of like our board, "love" the club, but hate the fans, cause we don't understand the real world, how things really work.

Maybe its romantic nonsense, but I thought we were different to the others, and when we smelled idiot we shipped them out as best we could, not back in.

Only come if we're doing well he's not that clever in a crap side (see ingerlund).

Funnily enough Andy my mate runs a vineyard in Huyton.

Andy's letter strikes all the right notes and I would simply love to see Wayne back at The Old Lady while he is still class. But you know what I'm going to say next so I wont say it .......

That sums it up for me: good player but shit Evertonian!!! Baby pics or not!!!

I'm coming to Perth in December for The Ashes, me and another Blue. I want to try some of that wine too.

Cheers!

I think you're missing a trick here, what's the name of the wine you're producing? I'd love to give it a go, at least I'd know it's made by someone passionate!!

Also like to know the name of your restaurant, heading to Perth in January to visit friends, one's a redshite so might be good to bring him to yours.

I just couldn't, even though it makes total footie sense.

Talk about laughable.

What part of 'we have not got the money'' do these utterly delusional people not fucking understand????

Even if we could afford him, I wouldn't touch the rat with a barge pole.

I know there's a lot of debate about moving on from Moyes but can we please, please move on from Rooney?

He's not coming back, many don't even want him back and if he ever did want to come back it'd be when he's no longer any use to us.

He's been gone nearly a decade now, he's on the wane (boom boom), so close your eyes, take a deep breath...........and.........let it go.

So for me, no. Sorry.

Even bringing him into the Everton team, he wouldn't be the best player at the club (Baines...).

Darren Bent, who was available for £8M is a more prolific striker....It ain't difficult.

In 2010 he was shocking in the World Cup. Utterly abysmal. He cannot take a game by the scruff of the neck like Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo can.

Let the likes of PSG or Monaco spend ridiculous sums to get him for about 2 years, but I think he has been rubbish for the last 3 seasons.

There are more talented, cheaper options lurking around in Holland or Spain that won't demand insanely huge wages.

Remember when Man Utd played Real Madrid in Spain, and Rooney hardly got a kick, and that was under Sir Alex. He seems to have a fitness problem, and it's difficult to see him managing 90 minutes on a regular basis.

No, no, and thrice no; let's look elsewhere.

COYB, Come on Roberto.

Remember, WR hasnt crated this situation this time; like then, this has been Manchester United dropping him in big games like the Madrid game where, if you ask me, if he had played instead of Nani Man Utd would've won that night.

This has been a hidden aganda on Fergie's behalf. Rooney's form has always been top draw but I think Man Utd want to get some cash back on him now and sign Gareth Bale. I don't think Rooney had any plans to leave.

On him coming back to my belovered Everton? I can't see this happenening for the simple fact money talks — that's the way life is for us all. Don't get me wrong: Everton is our passion for most reading this... but money means a lot more, simple as that. At this minute, he is coming into his peak years.

I think he could walk into the Barcelona team and play up front and score 40 goals a season no problem. Rooney made mistakes when he left us the way he handled things but, come on — I made mistakes when I was 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23... and I am sure a lot of you people did. The man is a human being and he bleeds blue but surely he couldnt pass on the oppurtunities getting put infront of him at this stage in life.

If it was my son, I would be telling him to stay at the top! I am not enjoying typing these words but the fact of the matter is, for the next 3 years, Wayne Rooney is out of our league — simple as that.

I bet this is not true.

The club has always had the money, Ste, they just never spent it on the team. Some of our board are very wealthy people, who deal with other wealthy people in their own business circles. If the mood was to bring Rooney back in our boardroom, then the wheels would be in motion now.

We do have Felli, who the Mancs will want now badly. Now that Barca have blown them out, the dour one will need new faces, as the Man Utd fans usually crave. I for one think we need the lad back, we need to send a message of intent to the rest of football, no more fucking half-measures, no more second best.

We have to at least try! Otherwise it will be another 11 years of so close but no cigar, 18 years without a trophy is a disgrace for a club of our statue, so many false dawn's is draining every Blue, we need fresh hope now, we need to Believe again!!!

I'd have him back at Everton In half an hour. Great player — and, if he lets him go, Moyes's biggest mistake.

Whether he'd ever want to come back though is another matter. We'll have to wait and see if he goes up for transfer but I don't think he'll have to wait long before the money teams come in for him.

I'd go along with your dream, mate. It'd be great to see him back.

What fans/supporters can't seem to grasp (the majority of them anyway) is that, once a player turns professional and this becomes his living, the supporter goes out of the window, and he becomes a gun for hire, so there's very little sentiment.

At the end of his career, Rooney may well get an executive box and become an Evertonian again – although Fowler, Rush or Carragher didn't. As it stands, Rooney will end up where they pay the most money and where he has the most prospects for Champions League football.

It's not just Rooney, there are examples everywhere: look at Lewis Holtby, mad Evertonian, who chose Spurs because there was more chance of CL football (whether we were in for him is another matter). The more cynical would say that footballers are all sluts flogging themselves to the highest bidder, but isn't that what we all do?

Does anyone remember Wayne Rooney who won Player of the Season, the season before last? When he was head and shoulders the best player in the Premier League?

Don't think so. Scoring goals against the likes of Stoke is fine, but if he can't produce when the heat is on, he's basically useless.

As for Player of the Season, wasn't Kevin Phillips PL Player of the Season in 1999-2000? Does that make him world class?

Premier League (7): 1998–99, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
FA Cup (2): 1998–99, 2003–04
Football League Cup (3): 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
FA Community Shield (4): 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010
UEFA Champions League (2): 1998–99, 2007–08

He's not exactly top class is he?

You played the "As far as the Champions League and Premier league go, I think you'll find he has a few of them" card, so I've responded, just to show what a ridiculous argument it was.

See where I'm comin' from?

And you know it.

He may have been top scorer in the PL, but so was Kevin Phillips, no one says he's world class.

If you can't see the qualities that Wayne Rooney brings to a side, I'm not going to explain it. You're either blind or Brendan Rogers. (joke).

Whether I'd swap him for Fellaini is imaterial.

Rooney is on £250,000 a week at United and is supposed to be wanting a new deal on at least the same money.

So how the hell are we supposed to compete with that? Do you really think he'd come here for around £75,000 a week which our top earner is currently on?

Wayne Rooney, we love him or hate him, but me, I'd have any player who enhances our team and helps us become successful. Couldn't care less if they dance around the dressing room in suzzies and fishnets and think they're Madonna.

Well said, I think many people forget what wages mercenaries like Rooney are commanding. I for one, would be ashamed to have this piece of shit wearing an Everton shirt, playing for us again.

It's weather he'd want to be the heart and soul if the team he supported or another superstar in a soulless mercanery club like Chelsea. How much trophies and money do you need?

Would captaining Everton to a Champions League place be a bigger achievement than winning a trophy with Chelsea? We'd have a great chance of a cup with him in the side too.

I'd say yes. I'd also say he'd be a bigger hero at Everton than he could be anywhere else.

He must dream of wearing the Roayl Blue Number 9 shirt and scoring against against the RedShite in a derby.

I'm not sure that it matters that much whether he's world class or not. But he's certainly one of the best English players in a generation. He also seems to make and score plenty of goals in the Premier League, so what does it matter if he's world class or not. He's certainly a far better player than the majority of English forwards.

He certainly wouldn't be coming here for the money either. If he ever comes back it's because he wants to. He'd walk into most teams and I just hope he says to himself "Stuff them, I'm off back to Everton, if they'll have me."

I'd love to see him back.

John you should grow a vineyard in back garden and Andy may come back to help you challenge for the European wine awards. If you can't afford him, just offer him image rights and percentage of your business.

He is a arrogant, greedy, Shrek-ugly little piece of shit IMO. WTF was all that with the hair growth operation? Doesn't he know you can't polish a turd!

The answer to that is probably 2 x X Millions, as much usually wants more.

So for that reason He's out.

Also, a decent marketing team could put together a viable plan if the will was there on Mr Rooneys side....so for that reason the Blues are out as well

Once saw him puking up in the Weld Blundell car park on the Formby Bypass, Col... not the prettiest sight in the world: he looked up at me, wrecked, puke all over his double-breasted jacket.

He scored the next Saturday.

Any blues in or around the Perth area should make the effort to get out there to have some fantastic food and taste some beautiful wines, plus you get to support a fellow blue.

Now, as far as the Rooney letter goes....... I couldn't agree more. It's something I have always said that Rooney should do. He turned the love of playing football into a day job the moment he signed for United and you could see the passion and love wasn't there anymore. I personally believe Rooney would have been destroyed by Moyes at Everton and that Moyes' training methods, style of play and mentality to the game were so different to Rooney's that he couldn't wait to get out, remember he even wanted to go to Newcastle before United came in for him. It's no surprise to me that as soon as OFM went to United the rumors of Rooney wanting to leave got greater. Rooney is a footballing genius, like Gascoigne, he'd have seen straight through Moyes very very early on and thought, fook this for a game of soldiers, I wanna play football not hoofball, I'm off.

The way I see it is there are 2 BIG barriers to this happening, none of which funnily enough are financial. The first is, that the Everton Board just simply haven't got the will or vision to even try to do anything about this opportunity never mind pull it off. As Andy stated, there are lots of ways a financial package could be created to tempt Rooney back, £100K a week, shares in the club, images rights, percentage of Rooney shirts sold, percentage of increased ticket sales and increased matches shown live etc. etc. it COULD be done. The benefit to Everton would be a HUGE rise in world wide coverage and attention, like when Shearer went to Newcastle (Oh for a visionary like Sir John Hall at Everton aye). IF Kenwright DID want to sell the mighty blues then he couldn't wish for a better marketing exercise, world wide coverage overnight and the profile of the club sky rocketing.

So, if for one moment we agree that a deal COULD be done IF we had the vision, will and strategy to make it happen, then what about Rooney himself??? This is the second barrier that would need to be overcome. Is Rooney intelligent enough to see beyond mere money and trophies? Would he rather have a team built around HIM by a coach who gets the beautiful game in Martinez or does he want to be simply a cog in a no mark club in London?

Does he want to have his name etched in Everton's history like Dean, Lawton and Young, revered as the best born Evertonian that was lucky enough to play for the mighty blues? The prodigal son that said "I want to do something for the club me and my family have supported all our lives, I want to make a positive contribution to Everton and its special history in the world of football, lead us back to the pinnacle of the English game and prove I am the best striker this country has produced since Dixie Dean and lead Everton into the Champions League for the first time in our history........" Or, does he want go to Chelsea???

I know what I'd be doing in his position and I'm sure almost every blue throughout the world believes they'd do the same, so does Rooney see the bigger picture and does he still truly love the mighty blues or, does he just love himself?

What’s the name of your restaurant and where is it?

There’s quite a few of us Bluenoses over here in Perth so if Rooney won’t come to Goodison Park, at least we can come to your restaurant.

Would I have him back - instantly..

A nice heartfelt article Andy.

Roonet stirs the emotions both ways for different fans. I'd like the prodigal son to return - but Mr Stretford et al will not allow their cash cow to follow his heart - just his (their) wallet.

The claims that he is overrated are laughable. His record speaks for itself. Over 150 Premier League goals - the 6th highest in history - at the age of 27. A strike rate the same as Ronaldo, and only slightly behind Drogba and Van Persie. He's the 5th highest goalscorer of all time for the England national team, with every chance of making it to number one.

It's not just his goals. He's also had the 5th most assists in Premier League history. He was PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2010, and has won the player of the month award 5 times. And he's been consistently one of Man United's hottest assets in a decade when they've been winning trophy after trophy. So yes, I do think he'd come in handy.

Regarding the open letter to Rooney, I know it won't happen, but I can dream. Imagine if it did happen, and the current owners gave him a percentage of the club as part of the deal, the value of the club would immediately go up, and would mean the current owners shares would probably be worth more than they are now. A good deal all round, I think.

I watched Rooney, like I assume you did, the season before last and he was world class. He's not as good as Rooney or as lethal as Ronaldo but his all round game is magnificent. He was head and shoulders above every one in the league and there were a hell of lot of better players than some of the names listed.

There's obviously been a break down in his relationship with Man Utd that has affected his form, no doubt. But in the right environment he is undoubtedly world class – regardless of what your opinion might be of him.

It's now or never.........which unfortunately means never.

Come on Wayne, be a legend.

A good player but bulled up beyond belief because he's english, his game is short bursts of power and aggression coupled with excellent football intelligence suited to the english mistake ridden game. He is suited to a team like Utd where the work is done by others and he can find space aplenty to finish things off.

Watch him wandering around conserving energy it stands out like a sore thumb on the international stage because England are abysmal and don't dominate the way Utd do in our league.

Good player in these islands but never world class.

Rooney has never been world class?

You are joking?

Forget last season. The season before everyone spoke about how he had added a great ability to head a goal to his list of abilities. His long-range passing is the best since Beckham for an English player. His long range shooting was brilliant and he always had the work rate.

Whether or not his game suited the weaknesses in the English game is nothing to do with his ability. Ironically I think it's the negative hype surrounding him since RvP arrived that has developed this opinion in so many.

As a number 10 Messi is better - at centre forward Falcao wipes the floor with him to name but two.

He is the best footballer (I choose that word carefully) in Britain.

If he stays at Utd for another 5 years and gets an average of 11 goals a season, he will become their top goal scorer of all time (imo he could easily do it in 3 seasons)

Another 13 (or 14) goals for England and he becomes their top goal scorer - ever.

And this not from 'a Lineker' type, but from a player who week in, week out, plays other players in, drops deep to pick up the ball and passes the ball superbly.

I couldn't give a fuck what t-shirt he wore when he was 15 or that he kissed Utd's badge (because 30,000 people were chanting "You're just a fat little nob-head" at him).

If there was ANY chance (nb: and of course there isn't) of him returning to Everton now, I would wear a nymph's outfit and fling rose petals along Priory Rd to welcome him.

I do think he isn't the player he once was, he could still do a job for us though! I did love the way he played when he played for us, full of youthful enthusiasm & with no fear, it was a joy to watch.

Can't see him returning right now though in all honesty, I do think money is king to him & that will influence & determine his next career move.

"Wayne Rooney has never been world class"

The best English footballer since Paul Gascoigne.
The best Everton player since Alan Ball.

Have a look at the tapes from Euro 2004.
Rooney was 18 years of age.
Then come back on and tell me he has never been world class

Don't try and bring Paul Gascoigne into to your argument. I tried suggesting to Barry the other night that Gazza was world class at his peak. Guess what, Barry doesn't think so. According to Barry the last world class player England had was - Glenn Hoddle....erm.... yeah Hoddle was great when playing for England, wasn't he?

Good player but would he make a world 11 midfield or forward line?

He's struggling to get in the Utd side.

Your definitely on the wind up

When did Rooney last turn up at a major tournament for England?

Euro 2004 as an Everton player.

However, I am opening a Terry's Chocolate Orange here and if ya reckon you're getting a piece, you can think again!! So there!!

Harrumph!

He's not interested in coming here. Nor do we have the money anyway.

"Scoring goals against the likes of Stoke is fine, but if he can't produce when the heat is on, he's basically useless"

" .... he is overrated as he hasn't delivered in the big games"

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2277504/Wayne-Rooney-big-game-player--Champions-League-record-proves-it.html

"Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is the ultimate Champions League knockout king, having scored the highest percentage of elite club competition goals at the business end of the tournament.

The 27-year-old has scored 14 of his 27 goals after the group stage, which represents an unrivalled 52 per cent of strikes in the last-16 and beyond."

Plus Rooney gives 100% in defence, must have saved utd loads of goals with his tracking back/workrate.
How many more goals would he have scored if he saved himself just for the goalscoring!
Has Messi ever tackled anyone?

http://www.darlingtonestate.com.au/

Any other blues lucky enough to be going on holiday or to work in Perth should definitely check it out,,great food, wine and company.

Rooney would be the ultimate final piece of the jigsaw and would instantly become part of Everton folklore up there with Dixie Dean.

Very few players have the opportunity to become a true legend at any club - this is an opportunity that Mr. Rooney should grab with both hands and make happen.

He may never see Everton lift another trophy in his lifetime.