Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney will return to the hallowed turf of Old Trafford in September – but not in a managerial capacity.
Rooney’s last appearance in a United shirt was a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on the final day of the 2016/17 Premier League season.
It brought an end to a glittering 13-year career in Manchester where he left as their all-time top scorer with 253 goals in 559 games.
Rooney then had stops at Everton, DC United and Derby County before retiring in January 2021 to become Derby’s permanent manager.
The 38-year-old remains in management and is now in charge of Championship side Plymouth Argyle.
However, Rooney will swap the dugout for the Theatre of Dreams pitch in an emotional return on September 7.
Seven years after he last put on the United shirt, Rooney will be in action for their Legends team against Celtic in a charity match.
All proceeds from the event will go to the Manchester United Foundation.
For Rooney, he will have the chance to face the Scottish giants, a team he has revealed he is a huge admirer of in the past.
Speaking in 2013, he said: “My family and I have always followed Celtic since I was a boy anyway.
“My kids have all got Celtic kits and I always look out for the scores.”
Rooney will be joined by several familiar faces in the United Legends team, with the likes of Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher and Dimitar Berbatov all signing on to play.
The charity match falls during the first international break of the season, which allows Rooney and Carrick, who manages Middlesbrough, to participate.
Other players set to turn out for United include Anders Lindegaard, Wes Brown, Phil Bardsley, Danny Simpson, Jesper Blomqvist and Karel Poborsky.
Berbatov, who scored against Liverpool’s Legends in 2022, is buzzing about the prospect of returning to the place he called home for four seasons.
“It’s always great to reunite with the boys, share some banter, play football, and most importantly, raise money for a worthy cause,” Berbatov stated.
“It’s wonderful that we, as former players, can contribute to the Foundation’s various initiatives while doing what we love.”
The United Legends will be managed by Bryan Robson, with Andy Cole to be his assistant.
As for the Celtic Legends, Hoops great Paul Lambert will take charge of the squad.
Source: talkSport