Rooney's return

Just two months after lifting the Europa League Trophy with Manchester United, Wayne Rooney returned to Everton. In his first competitive game back at the club he fulfilled his boyhood dream of representing ‘The Toffees’ in European competition.

English Premier League side Everton took on Slovakian Fortuna Liga side Ružomberok in the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The game was Rooney’s first at Goodison Park in thirteen years where he was not booed by the Everton faithful. It must have felt strange. 13 years is an eternity in sport. Wayne Rooney must have felt like he was back at Everton in 2003 where he was the starry eyed teenager who was destroying defences and making his name in football.

The game at Goodison Park, saw Wayne Rooney restored to the central striker role he so desperately craves, but Manchester United's highest goal scorer struggled to find space upfront and spurned a couple of gilt edged chances.

On the hour mark, following the introduction of Sandro Ramirez for Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Wayne Rooney dropped into the midfield role which we have become accustomed to seeing him in during his later years at Manchester United.

It was no fairy-tale return for Wayne Rooney, but left back Leighton Baines saved it from becoming a night to forget as his strike is what separates the two clubs ahead of next week’s return leg in Ruzomberok. For Rooney all that matters was that his return was a winning one.

Focus aside from Rooney though, the newly assembled Everton line up worth over a 100 million pounds in new signings were extremely scrappy. They will have to get their act together to get past this gritty and resilient Ruzomberok side at the Stadion pod Cebrat’om .