Monday 24 July 2017 11:36, UK
Wayne Rooney can lead Everton to football's top level and is still "one of the best in his position", says Ronald Koeman.
The 31-year-old has scored twice in pre-season since returning to the Toffees, following 13 years away from the club at Manchester United, with the club gearing up for a Europa League campaign which begins on Thursday with a qualifier against MFK Ruzomberok.
Everton finished seventh in the Premier League last season, eight points behind Rooney's former club United, but manager Koeman believes the forward's return can help guide the club to the game's upper echelons.
"He has a lot of experience," Koeman told the club's official website. "He is an important player on the pitch but also important for his team-mates and certainly the young players to show them what you need to do to reach that high standard of football.
"That means he needs to be a leader off the pitch and if I see how he's working and what he's doing with all the players it's really what we want.
"Every day in training so far and in the friendlies, you see why he's one of the best in his position and one of the best players."
Rooney is one of seven new faces to arrive at Goodison Park this summer, with the club's spending in excess of £100m, and Koeman is pleased with how his new recruits are adapting to their new surroundings.
"I'm really happy with how the new players have settled in," Koeman added. "They have great futures at Everton and provide the quality we need to improve."
