Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has made it clear that under his guidance, Wayne Rooney will not play in the midfield.
The Red Devils captain was deployed in the midfielder by former manager Louis van Gaal. In addition to this, he was not deployed in his preferred No 10 or No 9 when England went to the European championship.
The Three Lions were eliminated from the Round of 16, following which Roy Hodgson stepped down. Both Hodgson and Van Gaal fielded him in the midfield, but the Dutchman's successor at Old Trafford has made it clear in his first press conference as United manager that the former Everton star will not be used as a No 6 or a No 8.
"In football there are many jobs on the field. The one that is more difficult to find is the one that puts the ball in the net. Players change during the years of course, their qualities change, so it is normal that a player at his [Wayne's] age changes a little bit," United's official website quoted Mourinho as saying.
"However, something that will never change is the natural appetite to put the ball in the net. Maybe he is not a striker anymore, but he will never be a no.6 for me, he will never be someone playing 60 metres from the goal.
"You can tell me his passes are amazing - yes, they are amazing, but my passes are also amazing without pressure. There are many players with a great pass, but there aren't as many players who can put the ball in the net. For me he will be a [number] 9, a 10, or a 9-and-a-half, but not a 6 or even an 8."
