Wayne Rooney is coming to America.
The British soccer star has officially agreed to a three-and-a-half-year contract with Major League Soccer club DC United, the team announced Thursday.
Rooney leaves Everton, his boyhood team he returned to after captaining Manchester United and England’s national team. He gave a preview of Thursday’s announcement by posting an early-morning picture on his Twitter account of him giving the thumbs-up from the seat of an airplane along with an emoji of the American flag.
The team later confirmed the deal and announced a welcome party for Rooney that’s scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Dulles Airport.
The contract is worth about $13 million, according to the Washington Post, making the 32-year-old the highest-paid player in franchise history. It cannot be made official, however, until the MLS mid-season transfer window opens on July 10 — conveniently four days before the DC United opens its new stadium, Audi Field, for a match against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“It is fantastic to be joining DC United at such an exciting time in the club’s history with the new stadium opening in just a few weeks,” Rooney said in a statement. “Moving to America and MLS fulfills another career ambition for me. I have the hunger to be a success here and will give DC 100 percent — as I have always done for every team I have ever played for.”
Rooney, who had been heavily linked to the club for months, has reportedly already secured his U.S. visa and work permit and could begin training with the team by the end of this week. The team said it expects him to make his debut on July 14.
Rooney left Man United in the offseason of 2017 after signing a two-year deal with Everton, where he started his legendary career. But he grew unhappy when he was no longer a regular on the team last season, reportedly telling Everton brass last month that he was ready to accept an offer from DC United.
Representatives for Rooney were previously in the U.S. to negotiate terms of the deal. DC United has agreed to also purchase his rights from the Premier League club for an undisclosed transfer fee. Rooney had one year remaining on his deal with Everton.
The U.S. club can sure use Rooney’s help, even if it’s from an aging star. DC United currently sits last in the league with just 10 points through 12 matches.
Rooney is the all-time leading scorer for both Man United (253), with whom he won five Premier League titles, and England’s national team (53). He played in three World Cups before retiring from international play last year.
