Rooney is as good as Kenny Dalglish in his pomp, he showed me THAT City overhead kick on his phone three times... and the only club he should leave United for is Everton.

It was March 2004 and England had just lost 1-0 to Sweden. Back in the dressing room, Steven Gerrard and I were talking about the young lad who had been playing up front.
‘See him,’ I said to Steven, nodding towards Wayne Rooney. ‘That was Kenny Dalglish.’
That was the first time I had played alongside Wayne and the longer the game went on in Gothenburg, I could not get the comparison with Kenny out of my head. Kenny used to put his big backside into defenders, lever them out of the way before creating something special.
Scroll down to watch THAT overhead kick... that Rooney showed Carragher three times

Back with a bang: Wayne Rooney celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Bayer Leverkusen

Fledgling: But Rooney's display against Sweden in 2004 (left) reminded Carragher of Kenny Dalglish (right)

National pride: Carragher (right) witnessed Rooney at first hand while the pair played for England

It doesn’t matter whether Wayne plays as a centre forward or behind a front man, he is equally effective in both roles, as Kenny was in his pomp. The love and enthusiasm he has for the game was equally reminiscent of Dalglish. 
I could see that against Sweden. The pitch wasn’t great that night but Wayne kept receiving possession, holding up play skilfully and spinning away from his markers. His touch was brilliant, his awareness first class. He left a deep impression on me.
But he has always been sure of his ability. The first time I spoke with him, I was 23 and had just won my first major trophies. Wayne was only a 15-year-old schoolboy but he came over to me one day in Liverpool city centre and confidently said, with a cheeky grin: ‘I’ll be playing against you soon!’

Young gun: Rooney burst onto the scene for Everton, scoring a fantastic goal against Arsenal in 2002

Hot topic: Rooney was the subject of mass speculation surrounding his future over the summer

He was right. A year later, I was on the team bus coming home from a game at Leeds and remember the radio commentary of his spectacular strike for Everton against Arsenal. He has been creating headlines ever since and did it again this week when he took his Manchester United goals tally to 200.
Wayne has endured a difficult summer but now the speculation about his future is over, it is time for him to sign a contract and become a legend. He has made a fantastic living and won more medals than most could dream about but he has to look at the bigger picture now.
His next challenge must be to put himself among Old Trafford’s gods. He must ensure that, in years to come, he is spoken about with the reverence that is reserved for Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best, Ryan Giggs and Eric Cantona.
Standing tantalisingly in front of him is the chance to set a record that could stand for ever. He could become Manchester United’s all-time record scorer. What an achievement that would be. Lots of players have been multiple medal winners at Old Trafford. Only one can be the highest scorer.
I’m delighted he stayed at United because I did not understand why he wanted to move. Why risk all he has built for a few years with Chelsea? To be the ‘main man’? If he wants to be the main man at United again, as he was a couple of years ago, the answer is simple: outperform Robin van Persie.
Had Sir Alex Ferguson remained in charge, I appreciate the situation would have been difficult but now he has a manager in David Moyes who has been true to his word. Wayne is being played through the middle and thriving.
Moyes was criticised during the transfer window but his biggest success was keeping Rooney. He has scored or assisted 40 goals in his last 44 Premier League games — would Ander Herrera or Cesc Fabregas have produced such world-class numbers? No chance.

Iconic: Rooney showed Carragher the video of him scoring an overhead kick against Manchester City

Those dalliances with Chelsea and Manchester City may have left a bitter taste with some United supporters but I know how the situation turned for Gerrard after he was pursued by Chelsea.
Continuous high-class performances and total commitment will always turn the doubters.
There is still so much for Rooney to achieve yet sometimes people feel disappointed with how his career has panned out. When he starred at Euro 2004, he dominated the tournament and was at a similar level to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo has gone to another level but Wayne has gone on to join a group of 10 or 12 players who are just behind Ronaldo and Messi.
That is nothing to be ashamed about. That is why City will be fretting about what damage he might inflict on them tomorrow.

World stage: Rooney, celebrating against Croatia, ran the show for England in 2004

I know how much this fixture means to Wayne. The night he scored that spectacular overhead kick against City — his defining moment for United — I was with him at a party and he had a clip of the goal on his phone. He was so proud of the goal, he showed me it three times!
There can be many more moments like that in the coming years. If he looks after himself properly — Ferguson has voiced concerns about how difficult it might be for him when he passes 30 because of his thick set — he can smash all kinds of records and go down in history.
And if in the future he still wants to move, there should be only one option for him. Rather than pulling on the blue of Chelsea, he should pull on the blue of Everton once more. There could be no better end to his story than going back to where it all began.

Heat of the battle: Carragher (left) and Rooney clashed many times for Liverpool and United down the years

Once a blue: Rooney, with Thomas Gravesen, should only leave United for Everton, says Carragher

 

Luis Suarez will evoke memories of Eric Cantona when he returns for Liverpool against Manchester United on Wednesday.
It was in this fixture in October 1995 that Cantona came back following his eight-month ‘kung-fu kick’ ban and he wasted no time in making an impact, setting up a goal for Nicky Butt after one minute before scoring an equalising penalty in a 2-2 draw.
You would not bet against Suarez making a similar splash this time. He will be desperate to play again. I know how upset he was to be told by Brendan Rodgers in January that he wasn’t starting an FA Cup tie at Mansfield, so he will want to be involved straight away.

Fighting fit: Luis Suarez (left), in training with Steven Gerrard this week, will return at Old Trafford

Maverick: Eric Cantona returned in the same fixture in 1995 after kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan.