Wayne Rooney left ManU to "rejoin Everton for an undisclosed fee," according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.com. The 31-year-old signed a two-year deal at Goodison Park. Rooney said in a statement, "I have come back to Everton because I believe [Manager] Ronald Koeman is building a team that can win something and I look forward to playing my part in making that a reality for the club I have supported since a boy." In '04, Rooney signed with ManU, leaving Everton as an 18-year-old in a £25.6M deal. He went on to score 253 goals in 559 appearances, winning the Premier League title five times. In January, he scored his 250th goal for ManU to break the record set by Bobby Charlton (ESPN.com, 7/9).
MANU SAYS THANKS: ManU Exec Vice-Chair Ed Woodward said, "Wayne has been a fantastic servant to United since the moment he signed for us as a prodigiously talented, explosive teenager some 13 seasons ago. ... On behalf of the whole club and our hundreds of millions of fans around the world, we wish Wayne all the very best for the next phase of his incredible career" (ManU).
'THE ONLY OPTION': The BBC reported Rooney said, "It's a great feeling to be back. ... There were other options there but once I knew that Everton wanted me to come back then it was the only option for me." Koeman "began talking about Rooney's potential return as far back as October." Rooney, who was "often left out" of ManU's starting lineup by Manager José Mourinho last season, "appeared in 25 league games -- the fewest he has played in one season." Rooney "was brought up by parents Jeanette and Wayne in the Croxteth area of Liverpool." He joined Everton at the age of nine (
BBC, 7/9).
STADIUM PLANS LEAKED: In London, David Kent reported plans for Everton's new stadium suggest the club has a 60,000-capacity venue "in the pipeline." According to leaked images, Everton will boost its matchday crowds by "a whopping 20,000" when it leaves Goodison Park, which has a restricted capacity of 40,000. It "had been thought Everton's new stadium in Bramley Moore Dock would boast a capacity of 50,000." Drawings from an official document by stadium designer Buro Happold Engineering revealed Everton’s plans "are much more ambitious than originally thought." The drawings appeared on an Everton fans' forum this week (
DAILY MAIL, 7/8).
