He still visits now and again too, though his legendary status did not prevent him from being searched by
security staff upon arrival for Solskjaer’s first home game in charge. Rooney has, every so often, crooked his
head around the dressing room door to congratulate the players on a good result. And the highlight of an
anodyne interview with Derby’s official website in the build-up to tonight’s tie was a claim that he still does
“love” Manchester United.
That ‘love’ was not so keenly felt back in 2010 or 2013, of course, and it is certainly not fully reciprocated.
But it is also not even a full three years since his departure. Maybe with time, memories of Rooney’s
indiscretions will be outweighed by the sheer magnitude of his 253 goals and the simple fact that he was
more prolific than any player to wear a red shirt in the club’s storied history. But on Thursday night, he will
still be United’s most awkward, unnatural legend.