MLS chief warns Manchester United's Wayne Rooney it isn't easy money for fading stars any more
"You need to be fit, you need to be focused and need to take it seriously, or you’re going to embarrass yourself"
Chris Canetti, president of MLS’s Houston Dynamo, said of the forward, who turns 32 in October: “It still seems like he has something left in the tank.
“It’s a tough league now. It used to be where some of these guys could come over here and think, ‘I’m just going to skate through’. I think there’s been plenty of examples where it’s been proven that you can’t do that.
"You need to be fit, you need to be focused and you need to take it seriously or you’re going to embarrass yourself.
Canetti admits Rooney will never have the impact Beckham did: “I’m not sure if he’s as big a brand, just because Beckham was so pop culture.
“From a football perspective, there will be the hard-core fans that say ‘Wow, Wayne Rooney!’ but with David Beckham, you don’t need to be a football fan to know who he is and what he represents.”
And Canetti says if Rooney is after wages similar to what he's on at Old Trafford he should look elsewhere, because MLS wants serious players not money-grabbers.
“We need to improve the talent and invest across the board instead of one player,” he said.
And he also warned anyone hoping to end their playing days in the States that it can be a tough experience.
Canetti believes former England skipper Steve Gerrard was surprised by what he found during his 18 months in MLS with LA Galaxy.
He said of the legendary Liverpool midfield, who made the move at age 35: “I don’t think it was a question of his focus or commitment. I think he found the league to be more challenging that he expected.
“In some cases, you have to come to Houston where it’s 100 degrees.
“You go to Salt Lake or Colorado where you’re at altitude and you have to deal with that, or you go to Toronto or Montreal where it’s cold, or you go to Seattle or Portland or New England where you’re playing on artificial turf."
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