Van Gaal: Rooney is ready for leadership
When Van Gaal was appointed United boss in May, bookmakers made Van Persie favourite to take the captain’s armband at Old Trafford.
Van Persie captained Van Gaal’s Netherlands team at the World Cup, and the two Dutchmen have a very good working relationship.
It came as something of a surprise, therefore, that the new Red Devils chief named Rooney as his captain on Tuesday night following the club’s sixth and final win of pre-season.
Van Gaal, who named Darren Fletcher as vice-captain, did not tell Van Persie of his decision to his face, but the United boss is sure his compatriot will have no problem with the snub.
“It was not difficult,” Van Gaal said when asked if it was hard to overlook Van Persie.
“I told it personally to Wayne, then I had to choose the vice-captain, then I had to say it to my players. This is a different situation to the Dutch national team.
“I think you always have to choose a native captain. I don’t think there’s any problem.”
Rooney last night declared he was ready for the new challenge.
“It’s a massive role to take on — I’m aware of that, the responsibility of it — and I feel I’m ready at this stage in my career to do it,” Rooney said. “I spoke to the manager and he decided that I was right to take the role which I am delighted with. It’s a great honour.”
It was Rooney’s work-rate and application in pre-season that won him the honour of following in the footsteps of club greats such as Bobby Charlton, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane.
“I’ve played under some great captains for club and country so I will take a little bit of what they have brought to the role and try to use that,” Rooney said.
But before he handed Rooney the armband, Van Gaal reminded the player — who has had his moments of ill-discipline in the past — he must be a fine ambassador for the club away from the field of play, as well as on it.
“His attitude, of course,” Van Gaal said when asked why he selected Rooney.
“That is on the pitch and on the training ground and I have explained to him also outside the pitch is also very important for me.”
Van Gaal reiterated that taking United from seventh to first following last year’s poor showing under David Moyes would not be easy.
And even though United have a relatively easy start to the season — beginning with today’s home fixture against Swansea — Van Gaal will not expect too much from his squad straightaway. “It takes time,” he said. “You are not champion in October. You are champion in May.”
Van Gaal was relaxed about the state of his squad despite a glut of injuries on the eve of the big kick-off. Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, Danny Welbeck, and back-up keeper Sam Johnstone are unavailable.
Van Persie is still short of fitness after his late return from the World Cup and it is unlikely Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini will start for the same reason.
With Shaw out for four weeks thanks to a hamstring injury, Van Gaal could deploy either Ashley Young or Reece James at left-back while 20-year-old Tyler Blackett is also in contention.
Neither Blackett nor James have played a competitive game for United, but their 63-year-old manager is not afraid of handing them a debut.
“We have played in the USA with Ashley Young and Reece James in that position, so that position is very well-covered,” said Van Gaal.
United are hopeful of reaching an agreement with Sporting Lisbon over the transfer of Argentina defender Marcos Rojo, who has a €30 million buyout clause in his contract.
No new faces have arrived since United bought Shaw and Ander Herrera seven weeks ago, but Van Gaal is not panicking. “I want to assess my team first,” he said. “A player you can buy in 24 hours, believe me. That’s not a problem.”
Meanwhile, Swansea skipper Ashley Williams says the club are happy to play the underdog today. “We couldn’t really have got a bigger game, but the spotlight is with them,” said Williams. “We won’t worry about them.”
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