After completing his return to Everton, the Toffees agreeing an undisclosed fee with Manchester United, Wayne Rooney is likely to debut for the club when they play Kenyan giants Gor Mahia on Thursday.
The 31-year-old agreed a two-year-deal at Goodison Park after passing a medical on Saturday and could get into the fray on Tanzanian turf in a friendly.
Rooney left Everton for United in 2004 for a reported fee of £27million, which made him the world’s most expensive teenager at the time.
He went on to win 12 major trophies for the club in 13 years, including five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League.
He was named captain by Louis van Gaal in 2014 and broke Bobby Charlton’s long-standing scoring record at United last season, eventually finishing on 253 goals in 559 appearances.
Rooney said he looking forward to playing in Africa for his very first time, and sees it is an opportunity of getting to know his new team-mates.
“I’m looking forward to it – it should be a good trip,” he told evertontv. “It’ll be nice and hopefully I’ll get on the pitch and get some game-time.
“It’s good when you go away with the team. It’s good to be around the hotel with the players, spend more time with them and get to know them more.
“I’ve never been to Tanzania before, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
Rooney is the latest signing in a busy transfer window at Goodison Park, with Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Sandro Ramirez and Michael Keane secured as the Toffees look to close the gap on the top six.
