Wayne Rooney's advice for Manchester United regarding four attacking players has aged poorly
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 26: BBC Pundit and Former Footballer Wayne Rooney, looks on while presenting after the Emirates FA Cup Semi Final match between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium on April 26, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)
Wayne Rooney wanted Manchester United to build their squad around four players(Image: Michael Regan - The FA, The FA via Getty Images)
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Wayne Rooney claimed four years ago that four Manchester United players were integral to the club’s future success.
Prior to Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Old Trafford, the Reds icon offered his thoughts on how the club could return to greatness. He urged United to build their team Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay, in a bid to turn a corner.
"I think Sancho will be better next year, Marcus will be better next year," Rooney said in April 2022. "They've got good young players. I think Jesse Lingard should be playing for them because he brings energy, brings quality. Scott McTominay's done well.
"They do have some good young players, you just have to get some confidence and get them believing that they're good players and perform at the best level. And then obviously, whoever the new manager is, I'm sure he'll bring his own players in and build that through."
His comments feel way off the mark now with the gift of hindsight, as those four have largely failed to deliver on their promise, to varying degrees. The Manchester Evening News now takes a look at each player Rooney mentioned, how their United careers unfolded and where they are now.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford of Manchester United seen during Super Match 2026 football match between Manchester United and AC Milan at Tarczynski Arena
No one could have predicted Rashford's career trajectory(Image: Getty )
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Rashford is the only player mentioned by Rooney still at United. After the former striker’s comments, Rashford went on to have the best season of his career under Ten Hag, scoring 30 goals in all competitions.
His form drastically deteriorated the following season as his off-field transgressions started to make headlines, leading to the then-manager to punish the player and Rashford cutting a miserable figure at Old Trafford. Rashford fared even worse under Ruben Amorim after Ten Hag’s sacking, with the Portuguese openly calling out his poor performances in training a month after taking charge.
The forward was frozen out of the United squad and sent out on loan in January 2024 to Aston Villa, after making it clear he wanted to leave Old Trafford. By the summer of 2024, Rashford’s time with his boyhood club had seemingly come to a bitter end, having joined Barcelona in a season-long loan deal with an option-to-buy.
After an impressive first season in Spain, however, Barcelona didn’t activate the clause and the 28-year-old returned to Carrington this summer. He has since been re-integrated into Michael Carrick’s squad and made his first appearance for the club in 19 months earlier this month. His future at United is still uncertain.
Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay of SSC Napoli poses for a photo with the Serie A scudetto title trophy and the Serie A Season 24/25 MVP Trophy
McTominay won the Serie A title and MVP Trophy in his first season at Napoli(Image: SSC NAPOLI via Getty Images)
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Rooney was completely right about McTominay’s potential - but the Scotsman only reached it after sealing a move away. Despite featuring regularly under Ten Hag, the midfielder was sold to Napoli in 2024, where he has become one of Serie A’s standout players.
McTominay in his first season with Napoli scored 13 goals and fired the team to a Scudetto, which earned him the Serie A Most Valuable Player and Footballer of the Year awards for the 2024/25 season. After reaching legendary status straight away in Naples, the Scotland international endured a more testing 2025/26 campaign.
The 29-year-old still scored 14 goals in all competitions and won the Supercoppa Italiana, but Napoli had to settle for second place in the league, owing to Antonio Conte’s famous second season syndrome. He is now hoping to return to winning ways under Max Allegri.
Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard of Corinthians reacts after a missed chance during the match between Fluminense and Corinthians as part of Brasileirao 2026 at Maracana Stadium
Lingard plays for Corinthians currently(Image: Ruano Carneiro/Getty Images)
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United academy graduate Lingard left United shortly after Rooney’s comments, having been released in the summer of 2022. The midfielder wanted to leave at the end of his contract due to his lack of playing time, which led him to join Nottingham Forest.
His brief time at Forest, where he was their highest-paid player, was unsuccessful. Lingard neither scored nor assisted in his 17 league appearances but did manage three goal involvements to help them reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
He was released at the end of the 2022/23 season and spent several months looking for a club, eventually signing a two-year contract with South Korean club FC Seoul. He was the biggest signing in the K League side's history and won their Player of the Year award in 2025, despite being publicly called out by their head coach for a lack of effort and physicality.
Lingard and FC Seoul agreed to terminate his contract after two years in December 2025. The 33-year-old joined Brazilian club Corinthians in March 2026 and has had a mixed time at the club, failing to score so far in the league.
Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho is a free agent after leaving Manchester United earlier this summer.
Jadon Sancho is a free agent after leaving Manchester United earlier this summer(Image: (Photo by Eddie Keogh/Getty Images))
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Perhaps the most shocking career trajectory of the four players has been Sancho’s. He arrived in July 2021 as one of the most promising forwards on the planet in a deal worth £73m.
His first season at Old Trafford was undeniably a disappointment and his second campaign under Ten Hag wasn’t much better. Sancho’s United career came to a complete standstill in late 2022 as he was mysteriously sent to the Netherlands to undergo an individual training programme in order to regain his fitness and mental focus.
But, following his return to competitive first-team action in February 2023, the winger was removed from United’s squad for the start of the following season by Ten Hag for his poor displays in training. Sancho hit back with a heated response on social media that led to a high-profile row and his exile from the squad.
He did not play a single game before his loan return to Borussia Dortmund in January 2024. Since then, the 26-year-old's career has continued to disappoint, having played for Chelsea and Aston Villa on loan during each of the past two seasons and not impressed enough to seal a permanent move.
He finally left United this summer at the end of his contract but is still without a club, marking a hugely surprising turn of events for the former England international, given his considerable talent.