Wayne Rooney. I'm jealous that he has the opportunity I know Alan Smith would've loved at Leeds. There'll be derision and divisions at Everton but it would've been easy to sit there and have yet more money at the theatre of nightmares. I'm jealous. Leeds fans just watch their best academy products bouncing around in the Premier League while we keep churning them out of our football factory for everyone else to enjoy them. Don't think I'll ever see a similar situation again though I saw it a bit with David Batty and he helped us get to semis of the Champions League.
Football is a business. You have to make unpalatable decisions in a short career. To finish at his boyhood club clearly must mean something to him despite it all. It's a gamble, if you can keep him fit and motivated he should easily have another few years left.If you're lucky enough to be a fan -and play for your boyhood club then finish your career there by hook or by crook then yeah I get it. Sure best days are far beyond him but that's still an astute signing if kept fit. Extra motivation (should he need it) dealing with doubters. These days football is a hard nosed business and there's rarely room for sentiment. I miss Mr Smith in a Leeds shirt every time I go to ER. I know he's much older and best hope is that he may coach at Leeds one day or perhaps even turn up managing an opposing team, who knows.
