Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has caused a stir by excluding league top scorer Erling Haaland (14 goals) from his Premier League.
Rooney hailed Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth as “brilliant.” He has 6 goals and is reportedly a £65m target for several top clubs.
In second place, Rooney praised Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United for his contribution despite United’s early struggles. Mbeumo has 5 goals, including 4 in his last 4 games.
In third place, Rooney selected Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal. The Swedish striker, a £64m summer signing, was placed third despite only scoring 4 league goals.
Rooney justified the pick by highlighting his “work rate, determination, [and] hold-up play,” arguing Arsenal had been “crying out for a number nine.”
