Very often, legends who have retired from the sport reveal small anecdotes from their careers where they came close to joining one club or another.
It often allows fans to dream of a “what could have been” scenario and how that particular player could have fitted into their club at that time.
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has now revealed he would have loved to play for Barcelona during his prime.
Furthermore, he has mentioned that there was a genuine possibility of a move at one stage before financial complications made the operation difficult.
Rooney admits Barcelona was an attractive option
Speaking on The United Stand (h/t SPORT), the former Manchester United striker reflected on facing Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona and explained why he believed his profile would have fitted naturally into one of the greatest teams of the modern era.
“I would have loved to play for Barcelona,” Rooney said.
The former England international recalled how difficult it was to face Barça in the Champions League, particularly after Manchester United lost the 2009 and 2011 finals against the Catalans.
Rooney admits he would have loved to play for Barcelona. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
“They beat us in the final and they didn’t have a reference No. 9,” Rooney explained.
“I think it would have been easy to play in that team and I would have fitted perfectly.”
For Barcelona supporters, it is an intriguing what-if.
Rooney was at his physical and technical peak during that period, combining aggression, movement, creativity and goals in a way that would have thrilled Guardiola.
The prospect of Rooney and Lionel Messi linking up in their prime is tantalising even to think of.
There was a real possibility
Rooney also confirmed that the idea was not merely hypothetical.
“There was a small possibility, but I think financially it was difficult for them,” he revealed.
At the time, the striker was experiencing uncertainty at Manchester United and had questioned the direction of the club after the departures of major players such as Cristiano Ronaldo.
That opened a window for Barça to swoop in and sign him, but the move never looked close to happening.
Rooney to Barcelona was a possibility. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Rooney was far more than a traditional centre-forward.
He could drop between the lines, combine in tight spaces, press aggressively and create for others, traits that would have suited Guardiola’s positional football.
Barcelona were also still searching for the right attacking balance around Messi after Samuel Eto’o left and Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to fully settle.
David Villa eventually became the solution, but there is no doubt that Rooney would have been a very good fit.
One of Barcelona’s greatest what-ifs
There is no guarantee the move would have worked as perfectly as Rooney believes.
Adapting to Guardiola’s tactical demands and sharing attacking responsibility with Messi would have presented challenges for any superstar.
Still, the possibility of Rooney joining that Barcelona side is one of those transfer stories that would enthral fans, even thinking about it right now.
His career eventually took the Englishman on a different path before he hung up his boots and had a failed stint in coaching.
Rooney is now regularly seen in punditry spaces where his opinions are respected, and it remains to be seen whether he ever takes the plunge into management again.