New D.C. United coach Wayne Rooney hailed Luis Suarez as “incredible” but insists he will only sign “players who are hungry”.
Manchester United and England great Rooney left Derby County in June after overseeing a difficult period for the club during his first job as manager.
Everton have previously been linked with their former academy product, but the 36-year-old has opted to return to old club DC in the MLS, where he played in 2018 and 2019.
DC have been linked with a number of potential signings after naming a big name that includes former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Suarez.
Suarez is a free agent after ending a two-season loan spell at Atletico Madrid, where he won the LaLiga title in 2020-21, and is said to be looking to build up his fitness for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar.
While Rooney refused to rule out a move for the striker, he suggested he is looking for a specific identity for a player Suarez may not fit.
“I have a lot of respect for Luis Suarez,” Rooney said. “I think as a player he’s an incredible player.
“I want players who are hungry, I want players to come to this club to be hungry and want to play for this club but also have a lot to give and be able to play every game, train every training session.”
“We are working extremely hard to identify the right profile of players that we are trying to bring in.”
Rooney will have his first game in charge of D.C., who are 13th in the Eastern Conference after just five wins in 17 games, when they visit the Columbus Crew on Thursday.
