The Red Devils captain has struggled to recapture the form of his youth in recent years and, after failures for both club and country, he faces a date with destiny.
"Remember the name – Wayne Rooney!" Those were the words of ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley on the day when the aforementioned Rooney netted the first league goal of an illustrious career with a stunning late winner for Everton against Arsenal. Fourteen years on the England captain continues to dominate the news agenda, though for very different reasons.
Despite having broken Sir Bobby Charlton's international scoring record and being within touching distance of repeating the feat for Manchester United, Rooney's place in both teams continues to be questioned on an almost-weekly basis.