Wayne Rooney Appears Headed to Major League Soccer

By 

Joshua Robinson

May 10, 2018 4:52 p.m. ET

LONDON—The newest resident of the Major League Soccer retirement home is set to be one of the English Premier League’s all-time greats, Everton striker Wayne Rooney, according to reports in Britain.

Rooney, 32, would be one of the highest profile Premier League stars to make the leap across the Atlantic following a path already beaten by the likes of David Beckham, Thierry Henry and, most recently, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But unlike that trio, who made beelines for the MLS’s two biggest markets in New York and Los Angeles, Rooney is believed to be heading to DC United.

For MLS, Rooney could represent something of a gamble. Certainly, he is a global star and one of the finest players of his generation. But as the league tries to shake its image as the elephants’ graveyard, it needs to make sure that its imported European stars are doing more than collecting a paycheck.

The reason why I chose this article is that I know that men's soccer is not rooted in American culture. Sports such as basketball, American football, hockey, and baseball are purely American. I know that the MLS as marketing policy always wanted to attract the big names of the European football at the end of their career so that it finishes it in the American championship.

Is it a good strategy? I do not think because already the local public does not already support it. America has no star players, and when comes a crack, he is immediately taken by the large European teams who have far more financial means than American clubs.

MLS should start by changing its rules and allowing the teams to land and compete with the South American teams first.

By doing so, the MLS will not only be a retirement home for the big European players. It should also sign more partnership contracts to have a more significant presence in the world of football and a better national team because it reflects the image of the championship.

Not only the national team but also do as the other sports do, develop a training system that starts from the young age. From Primary school to university.

The importance of American star players for the development of sport in the country will help young players to identify with them and not foreign players especially if those play in the country and not elsewhere.