Join the China Train, Former England Manager Urges Rooney

The voices asking Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney to join the Chinese Super League has become louder as former England manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, has also advised the waning star to move to the Far East.

Eriksson who was at the brink of taking the Super Eagles to South Africa 2010 World Cup before a dramatic switch to his compatriot, Lars Lagerbäck, was also one of the pioneer managers from Europe to move to China.

Sports Village Square gathered from the London Daily Mail that Eriksson had discussed with Rooney the prospect of moving to the Chinese Super League.

The 31-year-old Manchester United icon is likely to leave Old Trafford this summer, after a decline in form and also falling out of favour with both united manager José Mourinho and England boss Gareth Southgate.

The former England, but current Sweden manager stated: “I haven’t spoken to Rooney for a long time, so I don’t know what he is thinking, but if he went to China I think he would have a ­positive experience. He has a young family but there are international schools in the big cities and I know for sure he would have every help possible to make him settle. He would be made very welcome”.

  Eriksson in 2013 joined Guangzhou R&F.  Since then, the former Leicester City boss has gone on to manage Shanghai SIPG, and is currently in charge of Shenzhen FC, in the China League One competition.

Despite advising Rooney to move to China he pointed out the possible language barrier.

“The only problem you have is the language. But if you live in Shanghai or Beijing you have a lot of foreign people, so it is less of an issue. I bumped into many Swedish people in Shanghai and many Europeans live there, working for big companies”.