Through manager and captain, a strong sense of purpose should shape United’s work. Rooney has the qualities to lead by example on the pitch and through his no-holds-barred approach. He will even call his coaches out. Wayne Rooney will not hold back. He is one of the few footballers I watch now who could have survived 20 years ago, in what was a more brutal environment, where every decision in training was challenged, where he would have wired into his goalkeeper if he made a mistake, where being vocal was a virtue rather than the mark of a troublemaker. Ten minutes after calling a team-mate out, he would join them on a sofa, returning to friendship mode. He pays no attention to age, seniority or reputation.