Cole excited by the prospect of DC move for Rooney

LA Galaxy captain Ashley Cole is excited by the prospect of playing against former England team-mate Wayne Rooney in MLS.

Everton veteran Rooney, 32, is believed to be closing in on a move to DC United after being pictured in Washington on Wednesday.

Rooney – Manchester United and England's all-time leading goalscorer – has reportedly been offered a deal until the end of the 2020 season in the United States.

Cole played alongside Rooney at international level and against the former United skipper during his time with Chelsea and Arsenal in the Premier League, and the Galaxy full-back is relishing a reunion.

"I think it's good," Cole – who plays alongside former United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Los Angeles – told reporters on Wednesday. "I think it shows the improvement of the league.

"He's a little bit older, but to attract these kind of players is great for the league. ... I'm excited if he does come to play against him again."

"It's always different to the Premier League," added Cole. "We're getting older when we leave [England for MLS], so he's not going to be the 18-year-old Wayne Rooney. But I think he's still got enough quality for this league."

Cole continued: "When you look at the calibre of [big-name] players that have come, most of them have won [championships and cups] and understand that mentality of winning.

"That never goes away. Not just me, but you see other players want to come and want to work for their team."

Rooney scored 10 goals in 31 Premier League appearances as Everton finished eighth.

Cole's Galaxy are seventh in the MLS Western Conference, while DC United are bottom in the Eastern Conference with two wins in nine games.