Wayne Rooney is enjoying life in the MLS after a disappointing season at Everton following his transfer from Manchester United. DC United were bottom of the league, with two wins in 14, but have won seven in 13 since Rooney signed and are now pushing for a playoff spot. He has shown how humble he is too, staying behind after training to collect in the cones and equipment.

But as a player who has experienced the good ol’ days, he was left bemused by some of the behaviour from younger players. Speaking of Memphis Depay, who Rooney is fond of, he reflected on how the player showed up for an U-23 game, a match he had been relegated to after playing badly for the first team, in a Rolls Royce.

Memphis? He came on at Stoke away and messed up for their goal so Louis van Gaal made him play for the reserves the next day. I said, ‘Look, it’s a bit difficult. Just don’t come in with all your fancy stuff.’ And he turned up for the reserve game in his RollsRoyce, wearing a leather jacket and a cowboy hat. And I just thought, ‘What’s the point?’ But Memphis is a lovely lad and it’s good to see things going well for him now.

In Rooney’s last season at United, he played in just 25 league leagues, with only 15 of them in a starting position, and he has revealed how difficult that was as captain.

It was difficult to be captain of Man United when you’re not playing, to walk in the dressing room. You’re getting out of the car in the morning and you’re, like, oh. But then you put your strong face on. It was a difficult period for the team so you put your strong face on to keep the players’ spirits up. You’re almost putting an act on, which was tough. And then Everton. But now to come here, knowing it was going to be challenging, but seeing the way that the team has responded to me arriving, and the way that I’ve responded to them, has been great. If we can continue like this, we’ll all be happy.