Premier League: Wayne Rooney says Manchester United no longer have leaders to maintain club standards

Everton’s new striker Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United no longer have the kind of dressing room leaders who helped him and other teenagers become winners. The England international noted that the help given to him by a dressing room dominated by the ‘Class of 92’, comprising the likes of Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes was something that United’s new signing Romelu Lukaku won’t have.

When asked to offer Lukaku some words of advice, the 31-year-old said that the Belgian must fill the boots he had left behind. “There are standards that you have to keep when you are at Manchester United. That came from ­manager Sir Alex Ferguson when I went to United and it was then passed down through the dressing room by the likes of Giggsy (Giggs), Neville and Scholesy. Over the last few years, it was down to me and Michael Carrick to keep the new players maintaining those ­standards," Rooney was quoted by saying the Mirror .

Rooney, burst onto the scene for United with a Champions League hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce and after that, never looked back. The 31-year-old is the only Englishman to have won the Premier League, Champions League, Club World Cup, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup alongside United’s new club captain Carrick.

The former United striker, who broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal-scoring records for both club and country, warned that it was harder for the new signings to maintain the tradition now than when he had joined the club back in 2004.

“That (maintaining the standards) became more difficult over the last few years, with some of the ­players who joined the club. There are ­traditions at United that have to be maintained. It’s become harder, but that’s not my problem anymore. I’m just ecstatic to be back at Everton,” Rooney added.

Rooney added that playing for such a huge club is a test of character and also stressed on the fact that the new faces must deliver as early as possible because United is a club that demands success.