The five options for Wayne Rooney following his 31st birthday

ByPA Sport

Updated 26/10/2016 at 16:49 GMT

Wayne Rooney can no longer be assured of a regular place in Manchester United's team having started just one of their previous six fixtures.

Rooney

Image credit: Eurosport

Having turned 31 earlier this week, the striker may be forced to consider if his future lies away from Old Trafford, particularly if he harbours ambitions of retaining his place as England's captain moving forward.

Here are the possible options for Rooney...

THE MLS

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The American dream is one that Rooney's old Three Lions colleagues David Beckham, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have all lived in recent years, though only the former was able to continue his international career while Stateside.

The lifestyle may appeal to Rooney and his young family but at his age a move across the Atlantic would surely spell the end for him as an England fixture.

Steven Gerrard

Image credit: Eurosport

THE CHINESE SUPER LEAGUE

Another destination that would harm his England prospects, although there would be significant compensation in the form of a bumper wage packet in the Far East.

Clubs in China may be the only teams in the world willing to match or even eclipse the salary he commands at Old Trafford and he would be a significant coup for the league in the same way Beckham was for the MLS.

However, while Beckham's superstar status always seemed to lend itself to the bright lights of Los Angeles, Brand Rooney does not have quite the same attraction.

Didier Drogba had a spell at Shanghai Shenhua before moving to the MLS

Image credit: Reuters

EVERTON

A romantic return to Rooney's boyhood club has always been mooted, particularly as the icy receptions he used to endure at Goodison Park have thawed in recent years.

Rooney wore blue again last summer for Duncan Ferguson's testimonial and was greeted warmly by those who he first enraptured as a 16-year-old in 2002.

But, with a new manager and new owners, would Everton even be keen on a Rooney reunion?

Wayne Rooney during his time at Everton

Image credit: Reuters

MANCHESTER UNITED

Option D would see Rooney sit tight and remain at United, a club for whom he has netted 246 times, just three fewer than all-time record goalscorer Bobby Charlton.

Rooney has two years remaining on his contract after this campaign and has plenty of time to win back Jose Mourinho, whose current attacking options are hardly firing anyway.