Rooney reveals he advised Man Utd to sign Gueye a month after re-joining Everton

Wayne Rooney has revealed that he advised Manchester United to sign Idrissa Gueye a month after re-joining Everton.

Rooney began his career at Everton before moving to United in 2004, and went on to win 16 major trophies at Old Trafford, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

The former England international made his way back to Goodison Park on a free transfer in the summer of 2017, having been deemed surplus to requirements by then Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho.

Rooney stayed for one full season before undertaking a new challenge in MLS with DC United, helping Everton earn an eighth-place finish in the top-flight.

One man who stood out above all others to United's all-time record scorer during his second stint with the Toffees was Paris Saint-Germain star Gueye, who enjoyed an impressive spell on Merseyside between 2016 and 2019.

Rooney says he quickly became convinced that the Senegal international had enough quality to join United, who have been linked with the midfielder on several occasions, but he failed to convince his former club to launch a bid for his services.

The Red Devils legend wrote in his latest column for The Times: "Everyone talks about his tackling and energy but what surprised me was his quality on the ball — he always looked to play it forward and to your feet.

"After a month playing with him, I spoke to people at Manchester United saying he was good enough for them. I wasn't shocked when Paris Saint-Germain signed him."

Rooney also discussed his time spent playing alongside another ex-Everton star, Marouane Fellaini, who left Goodison to join United in 2013.

The Belgium international was often criticised for not fitting the Red Devils' style of play, and never quite managed to win over his detractors despite putting in some impressive performances in the middle of the park.

Rooney added on Fellaini: "He was an absolute handful. He didn't mean to, but he'd always catch you with a knee or elbow; he scored goals, was always threatening and never got the credit he deserved.

"He was such a nice person and when he was getting stick at Manchester United it was hard for him. I admired the character he showed to get through that and win fans around a bit."