Rooney to play centre midfield under new boss Van Gaal

Grand central? Will it be Van Persie up front, Mata at No.10 and Rooney in the engine room?

Louis van Gaal intends to employ Wayne Rooney in a deep-lying midfield role next season.

The Dutchman will experiment on their summer pre-season tour as he tries to field the England star, Van Persie and Mata in the same XI

The incoming Manchester United boss is desperate to accommodate Robin van Persie, Juan Mata and Rooney into his starting line-up.

And after consulting the Reds' staff on the issue, the Holland manager is ready to play striker Rooney in central midfield during the club’s ­pre-season tour of the United States and into the Premier League season.

Van Persie, who is Van Gaal’s national team skipper at the World Cup, is likely to be given the United armband next term, succeeding Nemanja Vidic in a role which David Moyes had been ready to hand to Rooney.

The Dutch striker is sure to be United’s first-choice No.9, with £37million ­club-record buy Mata likely to start in his preferred No.10 role, behind the main striker.

Van Gaal is not keen on playing Rooney in a wide role, as Roy Hodgson did in England's World Cup opener against Italy – especially as the player is not keen on the role.

It is believed Van Gaal thinks Rooney has the qualities to become a successful central midfield player, as he has a good range of passing and the ability to win the ball back.

And Van Gaal knows he must find a way of getting the best out of the Scouser, who signed a £300,000-a-week five-year contract last season to keep him out of Chelsea’s clutches.

United have been weak in central midfield since the end of Paul Scholes’ time as a ­frontline first-teamer.

Michael Carrick, Tom ­Cleverley and Marouane Fellaini all struggled under Moyes last season, while Darren Fletcher’s career has been hampered by illness.

Rooney has played in central midfield on occasions, though often only late in matches after substitutions have been made, but Sir Alex Ferguson always believed he had a future there.

It is a theory shared by Van Gaal and if the move is successful, it could provide a long-term boost to England who are likely to lose Steven Gerrard to international retirement this week, while they must also replace the 36-year-old Frank Lampard.

Source: Mirror Sport 

DAVE KIDD

The People columnist