- Wayne Rooney full of praise for Jeremy Doku
- Gives winger piece of advice
- Compares him with former teammate
Wayne Rooney has praised Jeremy Doku for his performance against Southampton, comparing him with an old teammate at Manchester United.
Rayan Cherki is establishing himself as the creative king at Manchester City, but Jeremy Doku has been impressive in that department as well.
The Belgian has 14 assists in all competitions this season, and without him City may well be out of the FA Cup.
Doku came on against Southampton and found the net, before assisting Nico Gonzalez to hand the Citizens a 2-1 victory.
Wayne Rooney is impressed with Jeremy Doku
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was talking to Doku after the match at Wembley and he was curious as to why the 23-year-old did not shoot after rounding Daniel Peretz.
The retired forward imparted some wisdom on Doku, informing him that he needed to shoot. However, he was complimentary of the winger’s overall performance.
Wayne Rooney says Jeremy Doku reminds him of a former Manchester United team-mate. pic.twitter.com/Xzr4fciQhG
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) April 27, 2026
“When we went off-air [on Saturday], I said to him ‘when you went around the goalkeeper, why didn’t you shoot?’, and he said ‘I was on my left foot and I’ve seen one of my team-mates in a better position’,” Rooney told The Wayne Rooney Show.
“So I said he needs to be a bit more selfish and he was laughing, but I thought he was brilliant when he came on.
“He’s been a little bit inconsistent over the past couple seasons but this season I think he’s been brilliant – a nightmare for defenders to play against.”
Rooney compares Doku with Nani
Doku has not always been one of City’s standout players, but he has stepped up this season and delivered his best campaign to date.
In fact, Rooney has drawn comparisons between Doku and Nani, the ex-United winger who spent seven years at Old Trafford.
Nani was not the most prolific goalscorer, but he used his blistering pace and excellent creativity to set the Premier League alight.
“He [Doku is a player who will frustrate you as a forward,” Rooney continued. “We used to have that with Nani.
“You don’t know what decision they’re going to make so it’s difficult to read them but they will pull off moments of brilliance and I think he’s been so much more consistent this season.
“When he’s in that form it’s so difficult for anyone to defend.”
Doku is working to add more goals to his game
Interestingly, Doku has said he wants to score more frequently, including tap-ins. Therefore, the fact he is not known as a goalscorer is clearly weighing on his mind.
Perhaps Doku does need to be a bit less selfless and back himself to score when he gets into a good position.
However, even without a high tally of goals, Doku is becoming a very important player in Pep Guardiola’s team.
He has registered important goal contributions in each of City’s past two matches, which could ultimately push them towards silverware.
