Wayne Rooney has named his three players of the Premier League season so far ahead of the return of domestic football this weekend.
But rather than plumping for some of the bigger names currently at the top of their game in the English top flight, Rooney named stars who proved somewhat divisive on social media.
When posed the question by Amazon Prime Sport, the Manchester United legend first named Antoine Semenyo, who has notched up a tidy six Premier League goals and a further three assists in his 11 matches for Bournemouth.
‘I think he’s been great for Bournemouth, carrying on his form from last season,’ Rooney began.
‘I’d also think I’d put Bryan Mbeumo in there,’ the pundit continued. ‘I think he’s been really good for Man United, even after a difficult start for the club. I think he’s been really good.’
‘Third one, I’d probably go Viktor Gyokeres,’ Rooney added.
‘Arsenal have been crying out for a No 9 for a few years now, and he’s come in, and his determination, and his work rate, and his hold-up player (have been good). Obviously he’s scored a few goals as well.’
But fans on social media were quick to suggest their own alterations to the list, in particular highlighting the omission of Erling Haaland, who towers head and shoulders above the rest of his Premier League goalscoring competition.
The Norwegian behemoth has an astonishing 14 league goals to his name already this season, and during the international break helped his national team achieve historic qualification to next year’s World Cup in North America.
Commenters on social media pilloried Rooney’s choices, for not just missing out on naming Haaland, but failing to give midfield stars like Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, Gyokeres’ Arsenal team-mate Declan Rice, or Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka a mention in his list.
Some went as far as suggesting that his choices were evidence of his failings as a manager, with Rooney yet to return to the dugout after his last doomed spell in dugout at Birmingham City.
‘It’s no great shock he’s not cracked it as a coach with this take,’ one social media user said.
Another added: ‘I like Rooney but this is clearly why he constantly fails as a manager (laughing out loud).’
But while Rooney may be a long-shot for managerial openings for the time being, his pivot to punditry has been earning him plaudits, with Liverpool icon Graeme Souness among one of his fans.
‘I like listening to Wayne Rooney as a pundit because he talks common sense,’ Souness told Daily Mail Sport, courtesy of Sky Bet.
‘If you’re putting together an all-time Manchester United team, Wayne Rooney is one of the first names on the sheet – he was a real warrior.
‘I love Wayne Rooney as a player, and I like to listen to him – he has got authority so I can listen to him.
‘Some of the other pundits, I turn the sound down.’
