A congested fixture list coupled with key injuries to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba brought Wayne Rooney back into the first team fold. It seemed like the Manchester United captain was granted one last lease of life but it may only have been just enough rope to hang himself with.

Rooney was deployed in midfield as Swansea City paid a visit to Old Trafford but the Englishman failed to stamp his authority on the game that ended in a 1-1 draw. Apart from a few decent but relatively routine passes out wide to stretch the play, his influence in midfield was limited.

The 31-year-old did score the opener from the spot but the game largely passed him by as he struggled to carve out any openings for the United attackers to capitalise on.

A clumsy challenge on the edge of his own penalty area awarded Swansea a free-kick from which Gylfi Sigurdsson pulled them level.

The result leaves United’s hopes of a top four finish in tatters and it’s disheartening to think that the team’s captain, all-time top scorer and a player who should be a club icon has to shoulder a large portion of the blame.

THREE KEY MOMENTS

24′ – The first signs of Rooney’s lack of sharpness. Ashley Young does well to get down the left side and deliver a cross only to see his skipper loop a header well off the mark.

45′ + 3 – Marcus Rashford wins a penalty and Rooney dispatches it expertly.

79′ – Sigurdsson scores from the free-kick Rooney gave away with a clumsy challenge on Jordan Ayew.

KEY STATS

A pretty average display in midfield. Didn’t impress but didn’t do too much wrong either. The the one foul, but a costly one at that – two points worth to be exact.

The records just keep piling up for Rooney though. Joining Alan Shearer in an exclusive club with that penalty.

He may not be the most reliable penalty taker around but he did dispatch the one against Swansea with aplomb and this latest United record is a credit to his longevity if nothing else.