Xavi: Rooney is gifted enough to play in midfield

Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi believes Wayne Rooney must drop into midfield if he wants to prolong his career with Manchester United.

Rooney has failed to impress for United this season, scoring just two Premier League goals in nine appearances, with his struggles raising doubts over the captain's ability to continue leading the line in Manchester.

However, World Cup winner Xavi - who left Barcelona for Qatari outfit Al Sadd in the summer - sees a potential solution in the 30-year-old adapting to play in a deeper playmaking role.

"Wayne Rooney is a player I have admired for a long time. He is an extraordinary player with extraordinary capabilities," Xavi told reporters.

"Personally I think Rooney still has much to offer, but maybe it's time for him to adapt.

"You get to an age and you can't play the game you once used to, you can't cover the ground you used to. But intelligent players adapt and there's no doubting Rooney has a very good footballing brain.

"Maybe it's time for a new striker at Manchester United, who can run for 90 minutes, but Rooney would be very dangerous in a deeper role. He has the vision and the passing range to play that role very well.

"If he can adapt, there's no reason why he can't play at the top level for another five or six seasons. But as a player you must admit to yourself your body is changing and can't do what it used to be able to do."