What happened to four players Wayne Rooney wanted Man Utd to build around

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Manchester United have seen some change in recent years, but performances have yet to improve. Managers have come and gone and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has arrived as a co-owner of the club but the pieces to earn success don't yet appear to be in place.

United legend Wayne Rooney , who has scored more goals for the Red Devils than anyone else, believed that the club had a group of players worth building around. Speaking in 2022 , Rooney named four players who should be at the centre of their plans moving forward, just before Erik ten Hag was appointed .

None of them are in Ruben Amorim's squad this season. Rooney's advice was not heeded it seems.

The former Derby boss named Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford , Jesse Lingard and Scott McTominay. The group have had contrasting futures since Rooney professed his hopes.

"I think [Jadon] Sancho will be better next year, Marcus [Rashford] will be better next year," Rooney said at the time. "They've got good young players.

"I think Jesse Lingard should be playing for them because he brings energy, brings quality. Scott McTominay's done well.

"So they do have some good young players, you just have to get some confidence and get them believing that they're good players and perform at the best level. And then obviously, whoever the new manager is, I'm sure he'll bring his own players in and build that through."

Lingard's contract was not renewed , so he departed a matter of weeks after Rooney's statement. The midfielder joined Nottingham Forest following their promotion, but failed to impress on his one-year deal .

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After a period without a club, Lingard then moved on to FC Seoul . A knee injury interrupted his time there, but he has scored seven goals in 28 appearances for the club in 2025.

Sancho, meanwhile, never kicked on as Rooney hoped. A public falling out with Ten Hag followed, and he has since been cast aside.

The winger moved on loan to Chelsea with some success, but the Blues decided to pay a £5million penalty to avoid signing him permanently. Sancho is currently on loan at Aston Villa .

Rashford had a promising first season under Ten Hag and bagged 30 goals in 56 appearances, but has struggled since. Ruben Amorim's arrival sparked no revival as the forward struggled to break into his plans before moving to Aston Villa on loan earlier this year.

There was no way back for Rashford, who was in the club's 'bomb squad' , but the attacker looks reinvigorated by his loan to Barcelona this season.

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McTominay continued to improve after Ten Hag's arrival, and even added an impactful goalscoring threat. That did not stop United from selling him in 2024 due to the benefit his fee would have on the side's compliance with profit and sustainability rules.

The 28-year-old midfielder has already found success with Napoli, however. McTominay was a key figure behind his side's Serie A title and was named the best player in the division.

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