adminManchester United next season.
Rooney (27) fell out of favour under Sir Alex Ferguson and wasn’t named in the squad for the final two Premier League games.
He was also omitted from the starting line-up for the Champions League defeat against Real Madrid at Old Trafford.
He handed in a transfer request towards the end of the campaign and has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford.
But former United goalkeeper Van der Sar believes that Rooney has the character and talent to regain his form and place in the United side.
“There has been so much pressure on him, you build him up and put all your money on him to make England world or European champions,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme.
“So it’s also quite easy to cut him down again. Players have indifferent seasons and maybe Wayne’s been overtaken by Robin van Persie this year but it’s the hard work that he puts in for the team [that should be recognised].
Despite doubts about Rooney’s future with United, Van der Sar has warned the England international striker that he won’t find many other clubs at the same level.
He also believes that Rooney still has an important role to play for the Red Devils under new manager David Moyes.
“It was maybe a lesser season (for Rooney) and he didn’t play the last couple of games but he’s really important for United,” he said.
“English players tend to stay in England to play their football and rightly so because you have big clubs, the tradition and the stadiums are always full.
“With the change of manager and backroom staff it could be a big change for Manchester United but I don’t think you’ll find a better atmosphere at many other clubs.”
Meanwhile Graeme Souness believes Liverpool must keep Luis Suarez if they want to have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
Manager Brendan Rodgers is targeting an improved finish in the Premier League next season with a place in the top four his aim.
But that will not be a realistic option if they cash in on Suarez, who has become unsettled at the club and attracted the interest of Real Madrid according to former Reds midfielder and manager Souness.
He told Sky Sports: “It is upsetting for Liverpool supporters as this year he has been a star, his goals have been vital.
“Going forward, they want to get themselves into the Champions League again and that would be doubly difficult if they did not have Luis Suarez.
“They are in a great position as he signed a five-year deal last year and he is obviously a vital part of what they want to achieve going forward.
“He gets goals for them and goals win you games, goals get you up the table and goals get you in the Champions League which is where Liverpool want to be.”
Suarez has complained about his treatment at the hands of the British media but Souness has no sympathy for the situation the striker finds himself in.
“I find it a wee bit strange that he is complaining about the press because at the end of the day he has got to look at himself, he has brought it on himself what he has been involved in – but there is no getting away from it, he is a star and Liverpool have got to keep him.”
Another Reds legend John Aldridge has accused Suarez of ‘letting Liverpool down’ after declaring his intention to quit Anfield this summer.
Aldridge has been a vocal supporter of Suarez during the controversies that have littered his turbulent two-and-a-half years at Liverpool, but he has been angered by the Uruguayan’s lack of loyalty and believes the goodwill towards the player has evaporated.
“Every Liverpool fan will feel let down by his desperation to leave Anfield,” Aldridge told the Sunday World.
“Manager Brendan Rodgers and his players will question why they gave Suarez so much support and the club’s hierarchy must suspect they got it wrong backing a player who does not appear to have appreciated that support.
“History will mark Suarez down as another Fernando Torres, a striker who did great things for the club and then did a runner the minute he got the hint of a decent offer from another club. A true Liverpool legend? He will never be that now.
“I was among those hoping Suarez would buck the current trend and show a bit of loyalty to Liverpool, but this story confirms once again that every player seems to be in this game to make as much money as they can as quickly as they can.
“I felt Suarez owed the club another year to try and get them back into the Champions League after all they have done for him, but I should know better than to trust in the loyalty of modern footballers who barely know the meaning of the word.” – soccernet.com
Online Reporter