Koeman would be 'very pleased' to offer Rooney an escape route

Everton manager Ronald Koeman would welcome the prospect of Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney returning to Goodison Park.

Rooney rose through the ranks at Everton before departing the Merseyside outfit Manchester United in 2004. But a recent demotion to the bench has triggered speculation over a possible move away from United.

Despite his fall from grace at Old Trafford, Koeman is open to the possibility of Rooney returning to his boyhood team.

"He's a great player, he's still not finished his career," Koeman said at a news conference ahead of Everton's match Sunday against West Ham. "I don't know how his situation is. That's not my problem. Of course, if there is a possibility that Rooney is an option for Everton, I'm very pleased."

After blossoming into one of the game's top forwards during the decade after his transfer, Rooney has recently been limited to a part-time role under new United manager Jose Mourinho, who has opted to use him as a substitute in four of the last five matches.

Everton supporters recently got a glimpse of an older Rooney in a Toffees strip when he took part in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial match during the summer:

Thanks to the magic of a hair transplant, he's hardly changed: