Man Utd Transfers: 5 Reasons Why Wayne Rooney Will Quit

By Joseph Dempsey / May 9, 2013

will retire at the end of the season is still sinking in and, as if to throw the future of the club into further chaos, it was reported today that Wayne Rooney wants to quit. Again. The 27-year old reportedly told Ferguson two weeks ago that he felt "the time was right" to call time on his nine-year Old Trafford stay, with Bayern Munich a potential destination. The England international has been atypically off the boil this season, and has scored just half the amount of goals he managed last season. He was even omitted from Ferguson's starting XI for the second leg Champions League clash against Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League earlier this season. Now, almost a decade after leaving Everton, his time at the self-styled Theatre of Dreams could be up, with former Pep Guardiola keen on acquiring his services in Germany as he hatches his Bayern revolution. Here, we take a look at 5 reasons why Wayne Rooney will quit Manchester United at the end of the season. Click "Next" to begin.

5. He Is Sick Of His Midfield Role

Because of the emergence of Robin van Persie last summer coupled with the continued presence of Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez, Wayne Rooney has at times found himself utilized in an unfamiliar midfield role. This is a set-up that suits United - long have they been searching for a box-to-box Roy Keane-style midfield enforcer to terrorise opponents and strike fear into the heart of defenders, and in Rooney, they certainly have that. But the player himself does not enjoy his new-found playing position. He has found himself competing with Kagawa for the right to play in the hold behind RVP and this, for a player who is the club's highest paid individual and was once integral to the whole side, has not sat well. Rooney has had to sit back and watch van Persie write all the headlines with his fantastic goal haul this term while sitting deep in midfield, in a position where such talents are often overlooked, as is evidenced by the unfairly unheralded Michael Carrick. Rooney is a player used to scoring the winning goal - not creating it. Former United midfielder Lou Macari said earlier this season:

"If you've played in midfield all your life you know what it's all about. It requires a lot of energy up and down the pitch. There's no break for you. Is Wayne capable of doing that week in, week out? I don't think so. He is used to being up front and he is at his very best inside that box."

And he hit the nail on the head. Wayne Rooney is a striker, not a midfielder, and if he is continually forced into the latter position against his will, it is difficult to envisage a future for him at Old Trafford.