WAYNE ROONEY SCORES ON MAN UTD RETURN AS LEGENDS SHINE VS CELTIC - 5 TALKING POINTS

Wayne Rooney scored a stunning free-kick to give fans a treat on his return to action for Manchester United.

Donning red for the first time since 2017, United's former captain and all-time top goalscorer put a team of legends ahead in their charity match against Celtic on Saturday. Gary Hooper's instinctive second-half equaliser levelled the scores before the crowd, all supporting the MU Foundation with their attendance, were treated to penalties.

Rooney got another chance to hit the back of the net and did so, but it was a disappointing end to his and his team-mates' afternoon, as Celtic won the shootout after a game full of talking points.

Here are five of them from Old Trafford.

1. Carrick's still got it

Michael Carrick was hardly renowned for his driving runs into the penalty area, but like any great centre midfielder he was certainly capable of doing just that. In the 20th minute here, United's captain showed great footwork to slalom between Celtic's defence on the left-hand side of the box.

Eventually carving out enough space to whip in a cross, Carrick's effort was blocked for a corner, prompting applause from around Old Trafford. The current Middlesbrough boss could probably still play at a decent level.

Your turn! Will Michael Carrick manage Manchester United one day? Join the debate in the comments section

2. Berbatov vs Mulgrew

It may've been a friendly but put 22 former professionals on the pitch and you're bound to get a competitive edge. Charlie Mulgrew didn't waste any time to leave one on Dimitar Berbatov in the opening few minutes and the former Celtic defender, now playing for non-league Doncaster City, took the Bulgarian down again later in the half.

Berbatov wasn't best pleased but he was drawing fouls from the opposition, and a free-kick was how United went 1-0 up in undoubtedly the moment of the match.

3. Rooney delivers with a peach

Asked who they were most looking forward to seeing before the match, most United fans answered by saying Wayne Rooney. So was the Old Trafford icon going to let them down? No chance.

Getting into the game more and more as the half wore on, Rooney hit the wall with his first free-kick just after quarter of an hour. When his next chance came with three minutes until half-time, the former England captain produced a pearler; beating the wall and leaving Artur Boruc motionless to give United the lead.

4. Johnsen puts in a shift

At 55, no player in either squad was older than Treble winner Ronny Johnsen. Yet the Norwegian centre-back managed a huge 86 minutes of football before manager Bryan Robson chose to withdraw him.

Johnsen's excellent sliding challenge on Georgios Samaras was the highlight of his performance, helping keep the game goalless before Rooney scored.

5. Irwin's surprise appearance

Named as an assistant to Bryan Robson, there was a huge surprise when Dennis Irwin came down from the dugout, stripped and ready to come on late in the second half. The legendary United full-back was, of course, brought on to take a penalty and he made no mistake, rifling in his effort and sending Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska the wrong way.

It was Zaluska and co who were celebrating, though, as Darren O'Dea punished Danny Webber for missing his penalty and sealed a 5-4 shootout win for visitors Celtic.

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2024-09-07T15:29:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd