by Paul Brown

“ONCE a Blue, always a Blue” seems like a long time ago. But with Wayne Rooney’s future at Manchester United looking more uncertain than ever, a return to Everton has never looked more likely.

So could it, and should it happen? Despite becoming Manchester United’s all-time record goalscorer, Rooney has been slowly, and some might say deftly, eased out at Old Trafford. He hasn’t started a Premier League game since December 17 and is clearly no longer the 11^th name on the teamsheet, let alone the first.

The fact he has offers to make a fortune in China is well documented, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear that his agent is over there talking to interested parties. But the argument for choosing Everton instead is a simple one – his family wouldn’t have to leave their home, and he could enjoy a swansong at the club he’s always claimed has a special place in his heart.

Rooney could make more money in China. A lot more. But could he be tempted by the chance to end his career at his first club, where he would still be playing Premier League football, still be relevant? Maybe.

Would United let him go to a Premier League rival? Probably. Jose Mourinho sold Juan Mata to United when he was Chelsea boss after all, and allowed Petr Cech to join Arsenal. It’s unlikely he would stand in Rooney’s way – especially after selling Everton Morgan Schneiderlin.

But in many ways, selling Rooney to Everton doesn’t make a lot of sense to United. They would be strengthening a rival, and would miss out on the huge transfer fee they would get if they sold him to China. Whether sentiment comes into it or not, they would also look pretty foolish if Rooney ends up scoring a goal against them that costs United in a cup competition, or even, shock, horror, in the race for a Champions League place.

Clearly there is interest too, or Ronald Koeman would not have said back in October: “If there is a possibility that Rooney is an option for Everton, I am very pleased.”

But what would Everton be buying? One of the greatest goalscorers in English football history, granted. But also a player who has scored just three Premier League goals in the last 12 months. A player who is barely getting a kick for the sixth best team in the division. Everton are only seven points behind United as it is. Would signing another one of their fringe players really help them close that gap?

Under Koeman, Everton play a high-intensity pressing game. How would Rooney, who is going to be 32 this year, cope with that? And where would he play? Could you really have Rooney and Ross Barkley in the same team, or would they occupy each other’s space too much and get in each other’s way?

There’s an argument that having Rooney around would help make Barkley a better player. It’s a good argument too. But Rooney would not go to Everton just to help teach their young players how to play football. He’d want to play every week, to be a key part of the team. For my money Rooney is still a No 10. It’s still his best position. But Everton don’t really play with one, and it’s hard to see how Rooney and Barkley work together in the same team. The danger would be that Barkley, who thrives when he is given as much freedom to roam as possible, would be held back by Rooney and defer to him too much.

Rooney might well be a good influence on the young players at Everton. He’s an experienced pro who has done everything in the game, and a strong voice in the dressing room. But that could work the other way too. It could mean people like Barkley, Tom Davies and Ademola Lookman expecting too much from him, expecting him to be the main man every week. At the end of Thierry Henry’s time at Arsenal, it was clear his team-mates were doing just that, and it wasn’t working any more. Once he left, Arsenal actually became a better team because all of their rising stars were suddenly able to play with more freedom. They came out of their shells.

Signing the England captain and the country’s all-time top scorer would undoubtedly make headlines for Everton. Commercially, it makes a lot of sense in terms of shirt sales, profile and exposure. But Rooney is on a basic wage of £230,000 at Old Trafford. He would likely have to accept closer to half that at Goodison Park. That is some hometown discount. And would it be worth it? Could that money be spent more wisely elsewhere? Shouldn’t Everton be thinking about the future, about investing in players either hitting their peak now or just about to do so, rather than ones who are clearly past their best?

Good luck to Rooney if he chooses relevance, ambition and romance over the lure of the riches on offer in China. But forgive me if I can’t get too excited about it.