Wayne Rooney to Captain Manchester United, Louis van Gaal Hints

Wayne Rooney may be named as the next captain of Manchester United, coach Louis van Gaal indicated.

Man U coach Van Gaal gave a hint that he would ask the English striker to be the next captain of the team. There were rumours that the Dutch coach would prefer his countryman Robin van Persie to Rooney while choosing the next captain for his team. Rooney led the team against Liverpool at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami while Van Gaal gave a hint that Rooney might be the next man to lead the team this season. United won the match 3-1 and won the International Champions Cup.

Rooney might consider it as a great start as the captain of the team. It was his first stint as the United captain during the U.S. tour, and the team managed to beat its arch-rival in a crunch final. The coach's hint to select an Englishman as the captain of the team was enough to fan the fire of rumours that Rooney was all set to beat Van Persie in the race to the armband. However, the only man who may be standing on Rooney's way is Darren Fletcher, the Scottish footballer who has already captained United thrice in the tour.

It may also be possible that Van Gaal is still considering his options before finalising his next captain. "I am always looking for opportunities to give players the captain's armband. Today Rooney played 90 minutes for the first time." he said, "Fletcher had already done it two times, then he was the captain, and Tom Ceverley, because he also had 90 minutes. I think you have to choose, when it is possible, for the English style. That is when it is possible."

There may still be further considerations before choosing the next United captain. However, at this point, Van Persie looks to be out of competition as he did not start the season yet. It may be Rooney but one never knows if Van Gaal will bring another rabbit off his magic hat.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@ibtimes.com.au