WAYNE ROONEY has never before been so popular at Anfield after admitting Liverpool deserve to win the Premier League title.
The former England captain famously burst on to the scene at Everton then spent 13 years at Manchester United, becoming their record goalscorer, before returning to Goodison Park.
But in his latest Sunday Times column, the Derby star, 34, risked the wrath of his former supporters by conceding Jurgen Klopp’s men – who sit 25 points clear – will be crowned champions for the first time in 30 years.
Rooney begrudgingly put his loyalties aside and said: “Liverpool will win the Premier League. Now, as you can imagine, I have Everton fans phoning me up saying: ‘The season has to be cancelled!’
“And, of course, as an Evertonian and someone who played for Manchester United for 13 years, there’s a bit in me that thinks that would be good…
“But no. Liverpool have been fantastic. They have put so much work in. They deserve this title. Can you imagine waiting 30 years and then having it taken away like this? The right decision has been made.
“It’s also right in terms of promotion and relegation and Champions League places. These issues are so big for the clubs involved that I imagine there would be a lot of legal fights if the season was just abandoned. The fair thing is to finish 2019/20 — even if we have to lose next season in the process.”
The Premier League has been suspended until April 30 at the earliest as coronavirus continues to sweep across the nation with devastating consequences.
That postponement could and likely will be extended depending on government advice and the spread of the virus.
We might not see Premier League action again until June depending on how bad the pandemic is.
At this point, clubs are determined to finish the season – whenever that may be – and allow European places, promotion and relegation spots to come to a natural conclusion.
But Rooney was determined to stress that football pales into insignificance compared to the health of the general public.
He added that he does not want to play games behind closed doors if it meant essential resources – such as doctors, paramedics and ambulance – were being taken away from helping others in need.
The ex-United captain said: “The world is facing something serious and we in football should not be different from the rest of the population. Football is what everybody — especially in Britain — wakes up thinking about, but it has to take a back seat. This crisis is so much bigger than our game.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if finishing the season takes until the end of 2020. Football, like every other industry, is in unknown territory and, just like every other industry, has to listen to the advice and take all necessary precautions. For me, that rules out finishing the season behind closed doors.
“When you play behind closed doors it still means bringing together a fairly large group of people. You’ve got players, coaches, technical staff, physios, camera crews and other media, bus drivers, staff at the ground, the chefs preparing the pre-match meal.
“If the game is away from home you’ve got hotels, travel and all the risks associated with that. Football is the easy part. The problem is all the logistics that perhaps people don’t see.
“Most important of all, even for a closed-doors game you need ambulances, doctors, paramedics. They’re mandatory. Police may be needed too.
“Why bring them all to a football match when in this crisis they will be needed elsewhere for things that are far more important.
“I wouldn’t be comfortable playing a game knowing there were people dying or very sick because of coronavirus and we’re taking those workers away from the front line.”
