WAYNE ROONEY HAS defied the old cliché that you should never go back, returning to Everton 13 years after leaving the club.
After falling out of favour at Manchester United, Rooney rejoins an Everton side that has been bolstered by the signings of the likes of Davy Klaasen, Michael Keane and Sandro Ramirez and boasts a highly rated manager in Ronald Koeman.
Rooney is far from the first player to have succumbed to the lure of their old club, with plenty of stars having felt it irresistible to go back to what they know.
But how did they fare in their second spells? Here, we take a look at six global stars who returned to their former teams.
THIERRY HENRY
A legend of the Premier League era, Henry returned to Arsenal on loan after three seasons in La Liga with Barcelona — where he won the treble in the 2008-09 season — and an MLS spell with New York Red Bulls. Arguably the club’s greatest striker, Henry had lost his explosive pace but not his eye for goal, scoring on his second debut in an FA Cup match against Leeds United. He went out on a high by netting the winner against Sunderland in his final league match for Arsenal.
DAVID LUIZ
Brazil international Luiz says he took a pay cut to return to Chelsea after a couple of years in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, but he was rewarded with the Premier League title, his solid performances at the heart of Antonio Conte’s back three justifying his decision to come back to Stamford Bridge.
JURGEN KLINSMANN
Like Henry, Klinsmann returned to North London in the twilight of his career in 1997, heading back to Tottenham on loan from Sampdoria after being allowed to leave Bayern Munich. The Germany international was an undoubted success in his second Spurs spell, firing his side to survival with nine strikes in 15 league games, a four-goal haul in a battering of Wimbledon the clear highlight.
MARIO GOTZE
The jury is still out on Mario Gotze’s second spell at Borussia Dortmund, the playmaker having been allowed to return to the club three years after leaving to join rivals Bayern Munich. Injury has blighted Gotze’s time at Signal Iduna Park and last season he started only nine Bundesliga matches. The 25-year-old has been out of action since February with “metabolic disorder,” but he is back in training ahead of the new campaign.
ROBBIE FOWLER
The man Liverpool fans called ‘God’ returned to Anfield five years after leaving the club, rejoining on a free transfer from Manchester City. Fowler scored seven goals in the 2006-07 season – including a brace in the Champions League against Galatasaray – but he struggled for regular game-time and was left out of the squad for the Champions League final, which Rafael Benitez’s side lost 2-1 to AC Milan, before leaving for Cardiff City.
CARLOS TEVEZ
Argentina international Tevez started his career with Boca Juniors, making his debut aged just 16, and he had always vowed to return to the club. Tevez followed through on his promise in 2015, leaving Juventus after two goal-laden seasons in Serie A, and he won the Argentine Primera Division and Copa Argentina double with Boca.
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