Wayne Rooney returns: can he save Van Gaal from Man Utd mutiny?

Thousands turn out to watch England captain make his comeback from injury, with Van Gaal and Roy Hodgson relying on him

Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United
(Image credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Normally a Monday night U21 Premier League Division One fixture between the youngsters of Manchester United and their Middlesbrough counterparts would pass with barely a murmur. But a crowd of over 6,000 were present at Old Trafford for the match, and the nation's press followed every minute of the action.

The reason? A ringer by the name of the Wayne Rooney. The England captain - at 30, a little older than the average player - played 61 minutes of the match, his first competitive football since injuring his knee in February against Sunderland. Rooney's absence in United's last 12 games has been sorely felt, which is why manager Louis van Gaal was also in the crowd to see how he fared on his return to the fray.

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