Wayne Rooney arrived in the MLS in 2018, entering the league with all the flair of a British legend looking for one last stage to showcase his skills. And what an entrance! D.C. United, a team that had been in the doldrums, seemed to have found their hero. He came in with that number 9 jersey weighing on his chest, hit the field, and shook up the American scene. But will Rooney’s impact truly stand the test of time, or was it just a good story to sell some tickets and jerseys?
For American fans who’d already seen a parade of European stars doing their “farewell tour” in MLS, Rooney promised something different. With fire in his eyes, he was after more than just scoring a few pretty goals. This guy fully bought into the team’s spirit, even wearing the captain's armband and jumping into the fray, literally. Just think back to that head clash against the Colorado Rapids that left his nose in pieces. That’s the stuff of someone who takes the game seriously, no doubt about it. Rooney didn’t back down, on or off the field. It was that intensity that brought the fire D.C. United had been sorely missing.
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One game against Orlando City showcased one of Rooney’s most jaw-dropping moments: in a desperate sprint, he took off like the team’s fate was on the line, stole the ball, and set up the winning pass. By the end of that first season, Rooney was D.C. United’s star, crowned team MVP and grabbing the Golden Boot with 12 goals in 21 games. In the following season, he still wowed the crowd, scored a hat-trick, and even had the audacity to net a goal from midfield against Orlando City. But despite all that magic in his feet, D.C. United’s season didn’t have the shine everyone hoped for.
To many, Rooney’s 2019 decision to leave the club already seemed like a signal that the initial spark was fizzling out. His last game, a tough 5-1 loss to Toronto FC in the playoffs, didn’t exactly give him the sendoff a star of his caliber deserved.
After a lukewarm stint in the Championship as a player, Rooney came back to Washington, but this time, to lead the team from the sidelines as head coach. In July 2022, he reunited with D.C. United fans, this time on the bench as the new coach. Somehow, the old warrior looked ready for another battle, but what he found was a club sinking in the standings, and any spark of enthusiasm was quickly swallowed by disastrous performances.
Rooney’s start as a coach gave glimmers of hope that this could be a redemption story. He won the first match against Orlando City, ironically, the same team where he had one of his most memorable moments as a player. But reality hit hard. D.C. United kept struggling, closing out the season at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Not exactly a fairy-tale ending for a hero who deserved more, but maybe just couldn’t find the right environment for his vision as a coach.
By the end of 2023, Rooney and D.C. United’s decision to part ways wasn’t exactly shocking. He’d given the club everything he could, as a player and as a coach. Rooney’s legacy in MLS is complicated, full of highs and lows, moments of heroism, and frustrations. He’s without a doubt a larger-than-life figure, capable of pure genius that lit up fans and brought attention to the team. But in the end, his name may not echo as strongly as other MLS idols simply because, for all his heart and hustle, he didn’t quite reshape D.C. United’s story the way so many had hoped.