‘Wayne Rooney, he’s retired right?’ asks the taxi driver as he sits in the Washington traffic outside the RFK Stadium. The news that Rooney is on the verge of joining DC United from Everton has hardly been the talk of the town.
‘Mike Rooney?’ asks a different taxi driver on the return leg. ‘Where is he from? My kids love Mr Ronaldo.’ Rooney spent two days in the city last week and the locals barely batted an eyelid.
Cutting short his holiday in Barbados, the 32-year-old Rooney was given a tour of the new stadium, had a medical, visited a friend at the Trump Hotel and explored local golf courses.
Wayne Rooney’s proposed move to Washington DC has hardly set the US capital city alight
He had a 90-minute conversation with head coach Ben Olsen, signalling his eagerness for the move, and the news slowly trickled back to his prospective team-mates.
Club captain Steve Birnbaum said: ‘We were all away for the Los Angeles game when he came to visit — we found out over the internet. There are a lot of nice golf courses around Virginia so if he wants to play golf I’ll be his caddy for the day!’
Naturally, there is more excitement among Rooney’s potential team-mates than the local taxi drivers about his likely arrival.
Rooney has been in talks with MLS side DC United over a possible £12.5m switch from Everton
Personal terms have already been agreed and the Americans want the striker to sign a £12.5million deal until the end of the 2020 season.
His arrival would coincide with their move to Audi Field and help with the club’s marketing push for the new stadium. If the deal does not go through, the club have been linked with moves for Mario Balotelli or Carlos Tevez, but Rooney is the No 1 target.
Until now DC United have avoided the showbiz foreign imports — Steve Guppy is their most prominent English representative — but they feel Rooney’s arrival could pay dividends.
The column inches of this week’s Washington Post have been dominated by the charge of their ice hockey team, the Washington Capitals, to the national finals and the soccer team are in need a shot in the arm.
Rooney cut short his holiday in Barbados to travel to Washington to discuss details
‘Our stadium’s pretty historic but it’s also old and run-down so it’s time for a change,’ said Birnbaum, sitting on a tatty sofa in an empty press room.
‘A lot of people didn’t come to the RFK and it wasn’t a great atmosphere. Hopefully we can capture a few more casual fans when it’s easy to just pop down.
‘We’re a little bit behind football, basketball and hockey but this stadium can put us on the map. People here would love to see Rooney play. It would bring an extra buzz to the stadium opening. I’ve had a bunch of texts from friends. It would be awesome.’
The stadium’s grand opening is on July 14 and Birnbaum, who grew up on the west coast, remembers the impact David Beckham made when he signed for LA Galaxy in 2007.
Rooney does not carry the same box-office appeal on these shores and there is at least at hint of apathy according to one supporter watching the ice hockey in a local bar, who said ‘Soccer fans are getting a bit tired of washed-up guys from Europe.’
Rooney would be DC United’s first major signing from Europe as they move into a new stadium
But the club’s financiers have made the funds available for Rooney to become Washington’s ‘designated player’ — which means that they are exempt from the MLS salary cap — and they are now hopeful of finalising the transfer.
‘I was in college when David Beckham signed,’ said Birnbaum. ‘It changed everything. Every game ended up being a sell-out because David Beckham was playing.
‘He took the game to the next level and now you’re seeing all these other foreign superstars coming in and the league grows year in, year out. Not many people can say they’ve been nutmegged by Thierry Henry. I can!’
The city’s older football fans remember the day when Johan Cruyff signed for the Washington Diplomats in 1980. Only time will tell whether this particular Englishman leaves such a lasting memory.