Wayne Rooney played with a totally different Manchester United team. His 13 years at Old Trafford saw multiple honors for the club that included five Premier League titles. Now, the trophies are hard to come by, and a domestic crown has been elusive since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
The former United captain said the title drought would only continue as he understood that team manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is rebuilding the team. Bringing the club back to its former glory will take time, and Rooney said if the target is to be on par with Liverpool and Manchester City, it will be a wait of two to three years.
There is no way a quick fix will work, and the Red Devils will have to be guided by the way things were carried out by Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, according to Rooney.
"If you look at Liverpool and what they've done, they have built that team, and Man City, [Pep] Guardiola has gradually brought more players in for his way of playing," The Sun reported the Derby Country player-coach as saying.
What needs to be done is a clear-out, a complete overhaul that will redefine the team, and the process will be painful and long, said Rooney.
"They need to bring some players in, they need to also get rid of some players, and within two or three years they have to be challenging again," added the United legend.
And while the rebuilding is going on, it would help for United supporters to stick with the club, have faith, and wait out for the good results to come in.
"It is going to take time ... The United fans need to be a bit patient with what's going on and let these players try and prove themselves ... The Manchester United fans need to be a bit patient with what is going on," Rooney reminded the supporters of the Red Devils.
For his part, Solskjaer said Rooney would be a great leader for United one day, adding he welcomes the thought that the former club skipper will one day take over from him, per the report from Metro.
The club boss said when asked about the possibility: "It depends how much you put into the job and how much you want it because it takes over your life."
"It's the second best [job] after playing. I am sure there are many ex-players and managers who would like to have my job," said the team manager.
