Is Rooney the right man to lead Man Utd?

With Man Utd boss Louis van Gaal naming Wayne Rooney as the club's new captain, two Sportmasta writers debate if the striker is the right choice.

In Daily Debate, two Sportmasta writers give their views on a hot topic and then invite readers to decide who has put forward the best argument.
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Is Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal right to pick Wayne Rooney as the club's new captain? (@Okeowoestiny) Yes

Wayne Rooney is the ideal candidate to captain Man United and I believe Louis van Gaal - a man who is nobody's fool - has made completely the right choice. The Dutchman will have considered his options carefully - taking his time to come to the decision - and will have obviously seen all the merits in handing the talismanic forward the armband.
Rooney, at the age of 28, is, (in theory at least), in his prime as a footballer, and can lead United into a successful new era under the Dutchman's leadership.
Some may question his temperament, but I'm not altogether sure why he's been tarred with that brush? After all, this is a man who has not seen red for United in over five and a half years (March 2009 v Fulham) and has only had two red cards in his entire Old Trafford career - hardly a serious disciplinary offender.
True, he might not be the most vocal of captains either, but Rooney - as United's most experienced and most decorated of their current players - can lead the side in a different way: by leading by example. David Beckham for England, and to a lesser extent, Ledley King at Spurs, are examples of how this can be achieved successfully.
I've always been an advocate of having your captains play at either the heart of midfield or in central defence, but Rooney is a unique talent; a special breed, who deserves the chance now to lead one of the world's biggest and most prestigious clubs.
Van Gaal will have looked around that Man United dressing room and seen a serious lack of genuine contenders to inherit the armband with the vastly experienced Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra following previous skipper Nemanja Vidic out the exit door. His three options were probably only Rooney, Robin van Persie and Darren Fletcher, anyway. But with the latter still feeling his way back to complete fitness after recent health issues, and with Van Persie left free to focus on doing what he does best - scoring goals - I believe the extra responsibility of giving Rooney the armband should help bring out the best in the player.
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Sam Nightingale - No

With Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand all departing Old Trafford in the summer, Louis van Gaal had a decision to make regarding the Manchester United captaincy and has decided to go for Rooney to skipper the Red Devils.
I must admit I was surprised by Van Gaal's choice, especially as striker Robin van Persie captained Van Gaal's Netherlands side during their World Cup campaign in Brazil, where they finished third with Van Persie netting four goals.
Van Persie is more accustomed to the role of captain, having also skippered Arsenal. And in terms of which striker is more likely to start up front, I would have thought Van Persie is the more likely, with Rooney either out wide on the left - a position he has previously said he doesn't like playing - or in the number 10 role.
However, my surprise at the choice of Rooney is mainly due to the fact that he has twice previously tried to quit the club - in October 2010 and then in May 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson announced that Rooney had handed in a transfer request.
And on both occasions, the England frontman eventually ended up signing a bumper new deal. But those previous attempts to quit Old Trafford made Rooney persona non grata amongst many United fans.
Perhaps Van Gaal's decision is a shrewd move. If Rooney does end up playing in his unfavoured position on the left, as skipper he cannot openly voice his dissatisfaction.