Wayne Rooney says Manchester United forward Bryan Mbeumo ‘proved him wrong’ following his goal-scoring display in the 2-1 win over Liverpool at Anfield.
The Cameroonian forward scored United’s opening goal inside two minutes on Sunday, netting his third of the season, as he finished past Giorgi Mamardashvili from Amad Diallo's pass to stun the hosts.
After another solid performance from the former Brentford man, Rooney said Mbeumo has been ‘by far’ United’s best player this season, despite initially being sceptical of the 26-year-old when he signed for the Old Trafford side this summer.
Rooney tipped Mbeumo to become a fan favourite ‘very soon’ and praised his tenacity and ‘never-say-die’ attitude, saying he embodies the qualities a Man United player should have.
Rooney Praises Man Utd’s Bryan Mbeumo
manchester united bryan mbeumo
Rooney, speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, was full of praise for Mbeumo following United’s 2-1 win over Liverpool:
“I’ll be honest, I was a bit sceptical when Manchester United signed him. I didn’t know whether he had the ability to come in and play for United. But he’s proved me wrong – I think he’s been a great addition to the team and by far United’s best player of the season.
“Whatever he does now in a United shirt, it doesn’t really matter, does it? Because he scored against Liverpool.
“But you know what, the thing is, when you’ve got a player with that level of tenacity – that never-say-die attitude – who runs after loose balls, keeps going, and does what you need from a Manchester United player.
“That should be the absolute bare minimum. Running around and showing that you care should be the least you expect.
“And he does that in abundance. Plus, he’s got real quality as well. You saw last season with the number of assists and goals he got, and now he’s starting to put numbers on the board for United again. I think he’s going to be a fan favourite very soon.”
Mbeumo, a £71m summer signing from Brentford, has enjoyed a promising start to life at Old Trafford, scoring three goals and registering an assist in nine appearances across all competitions.
The £200,000-a-week forward was named Man United’s player of the month for August and is the club’s top scorer this season, with Bruno Fernandes, Benjamin Sesko and match-winner on Sunday, Harry Maguire, netting twice each.
With the victory at Anfield, United secured their first back-to-back Premier League wins under Ruben Amorim and climbed to ninth in the table.
The Red Devils, who next face Brighton at home on Saturday, had further reason to be jubilant after another summer signing, Senne Lammens, impressed during their visit to Anfield, with some even calling the Belgian ‘undroppable’.