Rooney's body is older than you think

Wayne Rooney has been linked with a move to China this week, with the transfer window still open and the player reportedly unhappy with the marginal role he has played in recent months.

Some have implored Rooney to stay put, reminding everyone that Rooney is just 31 years old and still has plenty of years ahead.

At 31, you would think that he could have another five years ahead of him, when looking at the longevity of career that players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

Aside from the fact that Rooney doesn’t take care of his body in any sort of way that a professional athlete should, getting drunk and smoking, he also started at a younger age.

Rooney has already played 745 games of football for club and country. When you consider that it’s only this season when he hasn’t always been a starter, it gives us some idea of just how many minutes of football he’s clocked up at a relatively young age.

To give that some context, Paul Scholes played in 784 games when he retired for the second time, aged 38.

In terms of sporting years, Rooney’s body is older than his age would let on. That doesn’t mean it’s time for him to effectively end his career and move to China but it does mean he certainly can’t demand a salary close to anything like what he’s currently earning at another Premier League club. Does he want to try and keep his place in the England team and continue playing football at a decent level? Or does he want to earn a fortune having a kick around in China? Time will tell.