SELF-confessed Wayne Rooney fan Eddie Howe reckons the England striker’s switch to a deep midfield berth could prolong his playing career.

Manchester United captain Rooney, 30, could line up in the central battleground when Cherries bring down the curtain on their maiden Premier League campaign at Old Trafford on Sunday (3pm).

Despite his display at West Ham on Tuesday provoking a mixed reaction from United fans, pundits have largely marvelled at Rooney’s new role and Howe believes it could bring out the best in England’s record goalscorer.

Howe said: “I am not surprised. I have done similar with a few of my players in the past, number nines who you would have considered out-and-out goalscorers like Brett Pitman ended up playing in a deeper role.

“Yann Kermorgant came to us with similar traits having played on the shoulder of the last man and we brought him back. We have also done that with a couple of our strikers this season.

“Whether I would have moved Wayne Rooney right back into a deeper midfield role, I don’t know but I can certainly see the logic behind it.

“When you look at his attributes, you see his technical ability, knowledge and tactical understanding.

“I don’t think it matters what position he plays, he is a very good footballer and you don’t score the number of goals he has without being a top player.

“Players like that don’t lose the habit of scoring goals, they find areas on the pitch where they can be a danger.

"Wherever he plays, he will be a goal threat and someone we need to deal with. I think it is a clever move and one that could prolong his career, definitely.”

The Red Devils host Cherries knowing that only a victory will do if they are to realise their ambitions of grabbing the fourth and final Champions League place from arch-rivals Manchester City, who would realistically need to lose at Swansea for Louis van Gaal’s men to pinch their spot.

“It is nice to be involved in games that mean something,” added Howe.

“The past few games have been difficult for us, we’re not a team that is used to not having that competitive edge.

“In the past few seasons, there has been something on every game. We have become accustomed to that, embraced the pressure and relished it in some ways.

“Last week’s game (against West Brom) was difficult, it had a different feel about it so it will be nice to go into a game with everything riding on it.

“When you are at Bournemouth and you play Manchester United, it is an historic moment.

“It is about giving a good performance and making sure that we are where we need to be mentally for what is a big game for them and, with it being the last match of the season, a big day for us as well.

"We need to be at our best levels. We have had such a good season when you review it, you have to view it that way but we want to finish on a good note.”