Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has suggested that Wayne Rooney may have peaked and is now on the decline, at 28-years-old.
Rooney was recently named captain for both Manchester United and England, but has failed to step up and lead by example for either in his opening games with the armband.
The striker has experienced a dip in form and does not look like the player he once was, with some pundits suggesting he has lost the pace and power that made him such a formidable opponent at the top level of domestic and international football.
“During the next three years he will be in the period commonly regarded as being the peak for a footballer.,” Carragher wrote in his Daily Mail column.
“For the vast majority, it is the spell when they produce form of higher quality and greater consistency than ever.
“Yet Wayne is different. Making his debut in the Barclays Premier League at 16 confirmed him as exceptional but it also meant there was potential for him to peak early.”
Rooney has scored once for Manchester United this season, in a dismal 2-1 defeat on the opening day of the season at Old Trafford – his first game as Red Devils’ captain.
Since then, he has not done much for his side as they have ground out two dull draws against Sunderland and Burnley, to give them two points from three games.
For England, he scored in the 1-0 win over Norway at Wembley, but his penalty was his only shot on target and the record-low attendance at the Three Lions’ home were left uninspired by their new skipper.
He was nothing special during England’s ill-fated World Cup campaign last summer, adding weight to the argument that he may have seen his best days and has burnt out his talent that saw him dubbed one of the best strikers in the world.
“Having made 615 appearances for club and country, he has stats that you would expect of a player in his mid-30s,” wrote Carragher.
“Think about it. Cars are not valued by their licence plate but on how many miles they have done.”
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