Colorado Rapids goalkeeper Tim Howard believes Wayne Rooney would make a defining impact in the MLS, should he make the move to DC United. The former England international has experienced a mixed first season on his return to Everton and he is currently understood to be assessing his Toffees future.

As such, Howard has discussed the possibility of Rooney plying his trade in the United States and feels his former Manchester United teammate would improve DC United regardless of his age, he told the Washington Post: “The idea isn’t whether a player is of a certain age; it’s whether they are motivated and whether they are driven to come here and perform, help a team and ultimately buy into it. Wayne will be fine. When a player starts to get older, you want to utilize him in the right positions to get the most out of them. So that will be up to Benny Olsen to figure out where he bests suits the team.”

Rooney made his comeback to Everton last summer after spending 13 glorious seasons with Manchester United where he became their all-time leading scorer. The 32-year-old followed up to contribute 10 goals for the Toffees during the first half of the season but he could not manage another for the rest of the campaign as he struggled for form and fitness.

Since then, there has been plenty of speculation of Rooney leaving the club and this has only intensified upon the exit of manager Sam Allardyce. The Toffees’ hierarchy have previously stressed that Rooney won’t be leaving Goodison Park but their stance could change in the near future, should the next manager not fancy working with the Englishman. Rooney currently has one more year left on his existing contract and reports suggest that DC United may have to pay a fee of around £8m to entice the club into the forward’s sale.