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Welcome to ESPN FC's #PremRank.
ESPN FC is counting down the top 50 players in the Premier League right now, as voted for by various columnists, editors and analysts. Who makes the cut? Disagree with our list? Tell us on Twitter using the hashtag #PremRank.
Why Wayne Rooney makes the list
By this point, Rooney's resilience and output can surely never again be questioned. The season started with his place in the side being questioned and many arguing that Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao should start ahead of him in this new Manchester United era, but ended with Rooney repeatedly and emphatically illustrating that the team was best when he was playing up front as the No. 9. In that sense, he is the great survivor.
Rooney is almost the playing version of Sir Alex Ferguson the manager, which is all the more ironic given the amount of times it seemed that differences between the two were going to force the striker's departure. Yet, no matter who has come in or whom Rooney has temporarily played second fiddle to -- from Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo through to Dimitar Berbatov and Van Persie -- he has stayed, eventually proving himself the main man.
Another irony to this season is that has been proved despite Rooney again falling victim to his own versatility. Louis van Gaal often had no choice but to put the 29-year-old in attacking midfield or even further back, due to absences elsewhere in the team. Rooney, however, proved the value of his presence.
-- Miguel Delaney
The stats that tell the story
- With 12 league goals this season, he became the first player to score 10 or more goals in 11 straight Premier League seasons.
- 11 of his 12 Premier League goals this season were scored at Old Trafford.
- Created 45 chances this season, third most for Manchester United, six behind team leader Angel Di Maria.
What the experts say
Rooney is hungry again. He is not just playing football and proving a point emphatically to Van Gaal, turning in performances so impressive that his manager will never be able to banish him to the midfield again. And he is elbowing his way past Van Persie and Falcao in the pecking order." - Iain Macintosh
"Rooney can still be decisive when he is needed. One of the remarkable things about United's captain is that, even when he is performing some way below his best, he is still good value for a goal or assist." - Musa Okwonga
"He is our captain, our leader and our character. I think he shows very, very well what Manchester United is." - Ander Herrera
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