Everton boss David Moyes has declared himself hopeful that Wayne Rooney will commit himself to a new, five-year deal at the Merseyside club.
Rooney was due to report back to Goodison Park on Friday after a post-Euro 2004 holiday in the United States.
The 18-year-old is due to have a scan on the foot he broke playing for England in Portugal but it is an update on his future intentions that will be most eagerly awaited by Everton’s fans.
Talks on the club’s offer of a new deal are expected to take place before Moyes leaves with the rest of the squad for a pre-season trip to Houston, Texas, and the Scot managed to sound an upbeat note about the chances of Rooney staying at the club where he has made his name.
”Of course I am optimistic,” he said. ”I said we are going to be positive at Everton and I am. We have made him a tremendous offer and I would expect that to be accepted.
”I think we have made a good offer and I am sure in the coming days or weeks we will find out exactly what is going on.”
Everton’s hopes of hanging on to their most precious asset have not been helped by the boardroom crisis at the club.
Two chief executives and two other directors have quit this summer against a background of deep divisions over how the club copes with unsustainable debts reported to total £40-million.
The turmoil has not helped Moyes as he seeks to get his squad into the right frame of mind to begin the new season.
”Everton is a fantastic club and the supporters are second to none and they deserve better,” he said. ”My job is to try to deliver that on the field.
”We have offered Wayne a tremendous contract and we wait on a reply, I would have thought we would have had an answer by now, and hopefully we will get that very soon.” — Sapa-AFP