#imagine jumping so precisely that u jumped in the same place where u created a hole in the ice

[loveshacks]

diego and soundman's accents

this one was a little harder since neither of them are given specific bithplaces in canon. i had to make a few assumptions in order to assign them an accent ^^' but somehow i feel like i got a more precise idea of their voices than gyro and johnny's?

Soundman: in canon, he's never given a more specific heritage than "native american" which, thank you. thanks. that helps. also for all my ~15 minutes of forum scouring i could not find anyone else who cared to try and figure out what tribe he might be. So I will do my best:

We know at least that they live somewhere in the desert, with their intro scene having a backdrop of mesas and cacti. we also know that they ride horses, which helps to narrow it down a little. based on that im guessing Apache, since Apache people are more well known for their horseback riding than their neighbors in the desert, the Puebloans. Some Apache people did live in tipis like Soundman's tribe seems to, but the Apache groups that lived in the desert (Lipan and Mescalero) generally lived in wikiups, which are similar, but less easily transportable. Like I said he doesn't seem to be based on any specific tribe, so the references to Native culture are all over the place.

But as if Apache is specific enough! Apache itself has two distinct languages within it (Eastern and Western) and at least four dialects within those. I'm going to assume Soundman is Mescalero Apache specifically, which would mean he speaks Mescalero-Chiricahua. Here is a sample of someone switching between english and Mescalero- altho that's a much more modern example, i think we can assume that's pretty close to how Soundman would speak!

My guess is that he learned english entirely from his books, since his tribe seems to be pretty anti-contact, so i believe his english would be pretty accented and probably become more adapted/smooth throughout the race. ok transcription time!

/ aj wɛl k'las͜ t̬ɛ k'an.t'ɛ.nɛnt wɛt maj fiːt ɛ'lõ: /

"eye well c(l)ass t'e cantenent wet my feet el-oan" (VERY roughly) here's the IPA reader , i recommend Ines for best results

reader friendly text: aj wɛl klas͜ t̬ɛ kantɛnɛnt wɛt maj fiːt ɛlõ:

the mescalero language does not have the [ð] (that, the), [ɹ] (red), or the [w] sounds, so i figure the "th" jumps to the next best thing, a flap [t̬ ] (butter, medal) and an [l] is slipped in in place of the [ɹ] as they are both pronounced in the same area of the mouth, assuming he doesn't just skip over the sound entirely. as for the [w] sounds, the neighboring languages, Western Apache and Navajo both include a [w] sound in their alphabet, so i don't think it's impossible for Soundman to say 'wet water is wet,' assuming he had contact with people outside his tribe.

The biggest difference is in the vowels. Mescalero does not have the [ɪ] (will, hit), [ə] (alone), [əʊ] (own, loan), or [ɒ] (cross, hot), and those are just the sounds i needed for this sentence ^^'. They do however have 4 different nasal vowels, which are kind of hard to imagine the sound of if you aren't familiar with them, but think of how the french say "jean" and you have a nasal 'a' right there. So I think Soundman would often slip back into nasal vowels, especially in place of a vowel/nasal consonant combo at the end of a word: the end of 'alone' slips to the soft palate, and he doesn't hit the 'n' sound on its own. Mescalero also doesn't have any diphthongs, most notably the [au] in sound. so his name probably sounds more like / sã: mã / assuming it's not a translation of some longer phrase.

The vowels would be the defining feature of his accent, since it seems a lot of english vowels don't translate into mescalero. Also, didn't get to mention this, but mescalero also has quite a few sounds that are more...lisp-y (i guess?), like [ɬ], [ɣ] and and [k'] idrk if i can write out an accurate pronunciation, check them out on this interactive chart. So i think he would end up using those sorts of sounds pretty often especially in place of tighter consonants, so like 'slip' might become 'shlip' and 'contact' might become "conta(cht) " with the ending "k" sound going towards the soft palate and being pretty closed off.

Diego: he's a poor british dude, so you'd think we could just pin him with a cockney accent and call it a day. Sadly it's just not that easy. And i like making things complicated. Cockney accents are found among lower class Londoners- aka city dwellers, and Diego was born and raised somewhere in the countryside. A few miles (or kilometers i guess, we're in the UK now) can really be a world of difference on an accent. so:

during his intro his parents take him "into the mountains" so that puts us up in the north of the country- and then he flows down a river and grows up on a farm. So I am pinning him with a Yorkshire accent, since it's an area of countryside directly next to the mountains, while newcastle seems a little too north (but imagine geordie diego lol) and scouse (liverpool) seems a little too far south/also on the other side of the mountains.

Here is the oldest example i can find of a yorkshire accent, someone born in 1912, and luckily it doesn't sound tooo different from the modern accent, at least not to my american ears :~). But, given his goal of 'climbing the ranks of society' it also makes sense for him make an effort to cover up his natural accent in order to sound more posh (aka upper received pronunciation). I'm thinking then that his speech would be characterized by a lot of dropped r's/ non-rhoticity (obv), glottal stops at the end of words (mostly to replace t's d's and k's), omitting h sounds from the beginning of words, as well as diphthong vowels and a majority of frontal vowels. he might even roll his 'r's if they're in the middle of a word, like 'brando' / bɾɑ:ndɔ /

if he's really minding himself though, he'll be sure to enunciate his t's & h's, follow the rises and falls of upper RP, and not roll his r's, since that would give him away as a...u know, / blʊ:dɛ kʰʊ:ntɾɛ: fʊ:k /

the vowels would be a little harder to mind, since upper rp vowels are generally formed nearer the front of the mouth, while yorkshire vowels are less restrained, more open (formed with a low tongue/open mouth), and not very subtle. yorkshire accents can also create diphthongs where there are none, so floor may be pronounced, flu-or.

/ a:bɛts kʰɑ:ntʰ be: fɛkst jʊs laɪʔ feɪtʰ /

" 'abets c(ah)n't b(eh) fex'd, joos lai' fate" (roughly) IPA reader i recommend Geraint or Amy to get the best results.

kinda weird sounding. i know. like i said, i think he would have trained himself to hit his t's (otherwise it would sound like, "abe's, ka' fae' " ) and some more posh sounding vowels like in can't (caaahn't) and be (beehh). And then there would be the bits of his natural accent that slip thru the cracks, like the dropped 'h' in habits, and the long 'u' sound in 'just.' (dkm he might sound sorta like louis tomlinson)

so there u have it ^_^ i might do valentine, steven steel and hot pants next

[thomcoldman-blog]

My 10 Favourite Games Of 2017

This list was originally posted on the forum Resetera, but I felt like putting it up here too, with a little more insight into why I liked these games so much, and so they don’t get lost in the muddle of forum posts. Enjoy!

10. Snake Pass (Sumo Digital; Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

Sumo Digital has been a developer I've admired for years, particularly for their work on the Nintendo-tier kart racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Snake Pass is their first independently-produced title, and it has a great hook - the player controls a snake in much the same manner as a real snake might move. There's no jump button, no Earthworm Jim spacesuit, just the power to raise one's head and the strength to grip tightly to any object you've coiled around. There's no timer or enemies; Snake Pass is content to let you explore its levels at your own pace, letting you getting used to its unique feeling and take in the calming David Wise soundtrack. It's a game that feels like learning to ride a bike again, and the progression in ability over time is such a pleasing sensation that it earns it its place on this list by itself. The good use of collectables and generous helping of levels is icing on the cake.

9. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (MachineGames; PS4, Xbox One, PC)

B.J. Blazkowicz returns and he's lost all meaning of subtlety whilst he's been out of action. Wolfenstein 2 shoots all of its shots - the action is bloody, explosive carnage, and the subject matter isn't satisfied with just skewering Nazi idiocy and narcissism, taking time to shine a light on White America's love affair with sitting back and reaping the rewards of compliance under fascist rule. Whether it's exploring B.J.'s broken psyche, giving Wyatt a crash course on hallucinogenics or putting you under the spotlight in a terrifying audition, MachineGames refuse to pull their punches, each great moment coming swinging like B.J.'s Nazi-reprimanding fireaxe. The combat encounters are far from polished, with stealth being heavily nerfed from The New Order and the half-way shift in tone from borderline-satirical diatribe on mortality and American race relations to comic-book capers is incredibly stodgy, but Wolfenstein 2 leaves a hell of an impression all the same. Shame about that credits music.

8. Gorogoa (Jason Roberts; PC, iOS, Nintendo Switch)

A good puzzle game can make a really strong impression, guiding you subtly by the hand to make you feel like a member of MENSA just for pressing a few buttons or prodding at a screen. With Gorogoa, I can't even begin to describe how the puzzles actually work. Imagine a window segmented with 4 panes of glass, and now imagine you can drag elements out of those panes and into other panes, or over where there isn't a pane to create a new pane... See, it’s hard! In as simple terms as I can muster, it’s a game about taking the world apart and putting it back together again to create paths and progress for your anonymous young hero. It’s intensely abstract, yet the South Asian aesthetic feels like a living locale, an exploration of a boy's days-to-come. It's a short experience, but with each puzzle solved making me feeling smarter than Albert god damn Einstein, it's one that will stick with me for a long time.

7. Splatoon 2 (Nintendo EPD; Nintendo Switch)

Like pretty much everyone, I didn't own a Wii U, but the sting of that decision never really happened until the arrival of Splatoon - Nintendo's first proper new "core" universe since what felt like Pikmin. It instantly looked like sheer fun - and as a big fan of both Jet Set Radio and The World Ends With You, it was clear as day Nintendo's younger designers were picking up the Shibuya fashion torch those games dropped behind them. Put simply, it's totally my shit. Splatoon 2 confirms my suspicions and then some, being the first multiplayer title I've enjoyed online in forever. I can't get enough of the soundtrack, the sound effects, the amazingly catty banter between Pearl and Marina, and just the feeling of dropping into ink, strafing around a sucker and blasting them straight between the eyeballs with my N-ZAP '85. 20% of Switch owners in the US can't be wrong.

6. Yakuza 0 (SEGA; PS4)

The only games I've played previously by SEGA's Toshihiro Nagoshi are the brilliant arcade/Gamecube bangers F-Zero GX and Super Monkey Ball 2, plus his one-off PS3 sci-fi shooter Binary Domain. Loving those 3 wacky games, I always felt a little put-off by his regular gig nowadays being a series about Japan's most decorated crime organisation, and a bare-knuckle brawler at that. Yakuza 0, the 80s-set series prequel that serves as a perfect entry point for series newcomers, proved my suspicions ill-founded. It's a game which instantly casts the majority of the yakuza as control freaks and bullies, pits its protagonists Kiryu and Majima as their unfounded targets and pawns... and then lets you fight your way out of hell via brutal finishing moves, bizarrely complex business management sidequests and, if you're so inclined, a gun shaped like a giant fish. It's that kind of game that always keeps you guessing whether or not you should take it seriously, and so it wins you over with its best-in-class action choreography, astonishingly good direction and a never-ending deluge of sidequests, minigames and challenges. Don't sleep on Kamurocho.

5. Sonic Mania (SEGA/Christian Whitehead/Headcannon/PagodaWest Games; Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, PC)

If you’re reading this, you probably know I'm a Sonic apologist. I don't really stand by the 3D entries - bar Sonic Generations, which I genuinely love - but the narrative that "Sonic was never good" is some ridiculous meme that I can't stand. They were genuinely fun games, albeit far from perfect; every game can use some improvement. Sonic Mania is that improvement, spinning the level themes and gimmicks from the original Mega Drive (and Mega CD) games into vast new forms, with myraid routes, tons of secrets, an astonishing sense of speed from beginning to end and fairer, more agreeable, more exciting level design. Old locales, new levels - oh, and some new locales as well, one of which (Studiopolis Zone) is an instant classic. 16:9 presentation, all new animations and crazy levels of animation detail, and a mind-blowing soundtrack by Tee Lopes - Sonic Mania is the perfect Sonic game.

4. NieR: Automata (Square Enix/PlatinumGames; PS4, PC)

For my first foray into the sunken mind of Yoko Taro, he couldn't have left a better impression. NieR: Automata uses Platinum's engaging-at-worst, thrilling-at-best melee combat as the language to tell his new story of how pointless it is for anyone to even bother throwing themselves after ideals of society or humanity, and why it's worth trying all the same. Every inch of this game feels crusted in Taro’s sensibilities, with the no-bullshit 2B and her curious whiny partner 9S running into robots waving white flags, avenging fallen comrades, establishing monarchies, throwing themselves to their deaths, and coming to terms with their crumbling existence in apocalypse.  It's crushing, it's raw, it's often dull, but its uniquely bleak vision of AIs breaking free of their programming has a grip as powerful as a Terminator's. And when it’s ready to let you go, it has you send it off with the most memorable credits sequence in history. Glory to Yoko Taro, glory to PlatinumGames - glory to mankind.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo EPD; Nintendo Switch, Wii U)

Standing in the centre of a bridge connecting Hyrule’s broad, emerald green fields to the desert mountain approach, a bridge overlooking the still Lake Hylia, I fire an arrow into a lizard bastard’s head, or at least I try to. He dodges it and rushes me, forcing me to jump away and retaliate with my claymore. Out for the count, I resume looking for the lost Zora wife I’ve been asked to seek out, who apparently washed all the way downstream in a recent downpour. I can’t see any wife - my entire view is dominated by the giant green dragon snaking across the night sky above me. The wind picks up, but I am too awestruck by its presence to take note that I could glide up to it and shoot off a valuable scale. Instead, I just stand and stare, this utterly unexpected moment happening before my eyes. Friend or foe? A boss monster, perhaps? A vital story element later on? The answer ended up being none of the above: in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there be dragons, and that fact in and of itself speaks volumes about what this game is about. After 30 years, Hyrule finally feels alive.

2. Night in the Woods (Infinite Fall; PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS)

Very few games instil a genuine emotional response within me, but the story of Mae Borowski's no-fanfare return from college to suburban gloom resonates hard with me. It's an expert at the little touches - the needless-yet-fun triple jump, the not-so-starcrossed rooftop musicians, the impulsive reaction to poke a severed arm with a stick - and woefully precise with its big swings, like an upsetting cross-town party, a wave of violent frustration amongst the townspeople, and the inability to just lay it all on the table with friends and family when you need to most. In the cosmic dreams of shitty teens, Night in the Woods finds an ugly beauty in depression. 

1. Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo EPD; Nintendo Switch)

It’s impossible to deny 2017 has been the year of Nintendo. There’s plenty of celebrate elsewhere, but the Switch’s rise to prominence as the machine to be playing ideally everything on, and the amount of absolute smash hits Nintendo has producing this year makes it hard for the narrative to focus elsewhere. The epitome of all this is their final killer game of 2017: Super Mario Odyssey, the grand return of a more open-ended style of Mario platformer. A true blue achievement in joyous freedom, it brings together everything from Mario's history of 3D platforming - 64's freedom, Sunshine's other-worldliness and sky-high skill ceiling, Galaxy's spectacle, 3D World's razor-sharp platforming challenge - and throws into one big pot, creating a Mario where both the journey and the destination are one and the same, and exciting to the very end. In a year of amazing games that hit upon horrid, upsetting themes with delicate, pinpoint accuracy for tremendous success, I’m not sure whether it’s a shame or an inevitability that such an unapologetically surprising, happy game made the biggest mark on me this year, but either way, I’m welcome to have Mario be truly Super once more.

[ecotone99]

[MS] The Game

The sun cast an eerie shadow through the windows that brisk autumn afternoon. The way the silhouettes of the leaves danced across the floor and scaled the walls, ascending to the ceiling as if weightless and carefree. The shadows offered a proper mood to the situation as Mr. Welch sat in his living room. The rhythmic tick echoing from the watch precisely fashioned around his wrist, 2:34pm. The conversation around him became nothing but white noise, the imagery from outside creating facades within his mind. The wind was consistent yet gentle, the trees and the wind seemed to peacefully coexist and become one. “Edgar, we need to figure out what happened here” as if ripped from his alternate reality by these words, they felt as if he’d been struck across the face.

The man with the shiny black boots and that common pale skin tone were all that jumped out to Edgar, the contrast came across so different, but he relished in the similarities. Edgar had been known for such things, his pedigree in the fashion industry made life in a small town rather impossible. The man spoke again but he quickly became white noise, the details that scrawled across his uniform quickly flashed at Edgar, like the world’s least colorful fireworks show. The laces on the boots were tied to perfection, as if years of practice and most likely scrutiny from a nasty loved one lead to such execution. The thoughts ran a mile between the edges of Edgar’s mind, bouncing off the walls and crafting those dark and mysterious images he’d come to long for. “Edgar, your wife is missing and your story plants you at your home during the hours she would have gone missing. You have no information as to where they could be?” The question seemed to carry a supercilious tone, quit playing dumb with us Welch, I’ll cuff and drag your sorry ass back to the station in a heartbeat. These were the emotions Edgar imagined being tossed around underneath that tight cap of his. The badge read “M. Williams” which came as a surprise to Edgar, the officer was thin and scrawny but presumably fit underneath those increasingly bland clothes. He struck Edgar as a Samuel, or maybe even an Oliver “What does the M stand for Officer, if you don’t mind me asking” the question came across as inquisitive, but it seemed to anger Williams. He grabbed Edgar by the collar and hoisted him into the air with what felt like ease. “It’ll stand for my fucking foot in your ass if you don’t start answering my questions, where did your wife go!” This was no longer a game for Edgar, his shirt had been heaved from the waistband of his jeans and his neatly combed hair disheveled from the violent shaking.

The pale face that once calmly stood before him was replaced with a bright red; his eyes quickly shifted to that of what you’d see on a wild animal. This wasn’t the behavior of your average uniform, Mr. Williams seemed to take what Edgar had done personally, as if he were the brother of his wife. “Officer, officer. All you had to do was ask. I can give you access to my wife’s office if you’d like but I simply have but a clue where she went.” This seemed to ease the aggression, his grip loosened, and Edgar’s now ruffled collar slipped from his grasp. They started down the dimly lit hallway, Janice was never one for the fancy lights and the fine hardwood flooring, she enjoyed the shadows that danced their halls in the later hours of the day. The mahogany door at the end of the hall was her office, where she met with clients and had those simply dreadful conference calls. Edgar always hated what she did, slipping out unexpectedly for hours, sometimes even days at a time to some place she never quite disclosed. He outstretched his hand for the golden doorknob, his face obscured in the spherical illusion.

Edgar looked at the clock, 11:21am. The birds had finished their chirping and the frigid air seemed to reside from the trees. The coffee pot chimed those 3 wonderful beeps from the kitchen as Janice’s heels ticked across the hall. Edgar sat in his chair, placed perfectly in the corner of the living room, from this place he felt the tranquility and freedom of the outdoors while experiencing the safety and security of his home. Again, the noises around him fell to a silent hush as he focused on the world before him, the world spoke to him like nobody ever could. Amid this reposeful state, he neglected the sounds of his wife calling out to him. “Edgar, they need me to head out West for a few days again, something’s wrong with one of the clients.” She spoke so sure of her lies, but when she came to bid her final goodbye Edgar snapped from his state. That scent, that familiar scent he thought to himself as she started away from him. The perfume he’d bought for her months ago as a present for their 10-year anniversary. He smelt it when they made love that night and hadn’t smelt it since, unless she was leaving town. She started back towards her office to collect her things as Edgar rose from his chair. That whore, all this time her clients have been nothing but a facade, an apparition to cloud me from the truth. He knew what he had to do, there was no other way.

Edgar turned the knob, but the door refused to give way. “My apologies, I left the keys on the counter in the kitchen. Would you mind grabbing them for me?” Officer Williams glanced at Edgar, confused as to how he could forget the door was locked, but feeling slightly guilty for the incident earlier he reluctantly started back to the kitchen. The keys glistened in the light cast through the windows as Williams took them in his hand. He turned to leave but something caught his eye as he walked out. The symmetry in the room was off, something felt wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He looked to the window and found the issue, sitting below the ledge was a knife block with 3 empty places. The dishwasher was opened and empty, the sink was clear of any utensils. Strange- he thought as he started back to Ms. Welch’s office. “Sorry I got distracted, here’s the keys” Edgar slid the keys into the hole above the knob, the lock snapped back as he turned his hand. The door opened with a violent creak and the two men entered.

Janice stepped from behind her office door and checked her watch, 11:24am. She knew her train left at 11:45am and she needed to hurry. She looked up to see Edgar leaning against the wall at the end of the corridor. “Sweetie is there something you need?” his face remained cold and emotionless, his eyes piercing hers and peering into what felt like her soul. “Where did you say you were going again, darling?” his question felt as cold as his gaze, with a hint of suspicion. He took a step towards her, brandishing one of her knives from the kitchen. “See, you never wear that perfume Janice” He never uses my first name… somethings wrong she thought as he continued towards her “you see, these little surprise business trips got me thinking Janice. You never come home during the day, you’re always a little out of place, and you always smell like that fucking perfume” he disclosed a second blade, a butchers knife opposed to the smaller steak knife he held in his other hand. “Honey please, you’re being ridiculous” He raised his arm and threw the butchers knife at her, it connected with her torso as she let out a blood curdling scream. She slumped to the floor, her screaming continuing as Edgar charged towards her.

Williams covered his nose; the stench seemingly flew towards them from within the office. He began to panic and started towards the closet on the far end of the room, he unlatched the doors and drew them. He keeled over as he felt his insides churn, Ms. Welch’s lifeless and headless corpse was slumped in the floor of the closet. The insects flew about her wounds and the area surrounding her. He turned back towards Edgar and felt a rush of adrenaline course throughout his system. He glanced down to see the 15’ carving knife slammed into his stomach, his blood pouring from the bottom of the wound onto the floor. Edgar took a step back as Williams threw a hand in his direction, tumbling to his knees. The red tint quickly faded from his cheeks as his insides began spilling out. He looked up at Edgar, a crooked smile plastered seemingly ear-to-ear on his face. “Oh Marcus, you should’ve minded your own business.” He knelt to meet Marcus’ gaze. Blood began to spurt from his mouth as his attempted to cuss out Edgar. He felt icy hands run through his hair as his cap toppled to the floor. Edgar took a firm grip and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “And you shouldn’t have fucked my wife” Edgar grabbed the handle of the knife and ripped it from Marcus’ mid section, proceeding to slash it across his throat and letting his limp corpse collapse to the floor.

Edgar glanced at his watch, 3:10pm. He lowered himself back into his chair and admired the birds positioned peacefully on the banister of his porch. They chirped and nestled together to escape the cool breeze. Edgar tilted his head back and took a deep breath, that same crooked smile growing from within him as a loud knock came from his front door. “Mr. Welch. Mr. Welch, it’s the police. Open up” He lifted himself from his seat and exhaled. One final thought graced the surface of his mind.

“And the game begins again.”

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[sportsleague365]

Wayne Rooney has finally left Manchester United. Having earned himself the status as the club's top goalscorer and having won trophy after trophy, he has decided to take his quickly fading abilities elsewhere. The Red Devils will be better off for his absence. But we have come to praise Rooney, not to bury him. Bleacher Report spoke to a number of United writers, podcasters and YouTubers to ask them what they would remember about the forward's career at Old Trafford. Everyone was asked the same three questions: their most cherished Rooney game, their most cherished of his many goals and how he would be remembered in five years' time. Here's what they had to say. Musa Okwonga: ESPN Columnist Twitter: @Okwonga Most cherished Rooney game: The hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce. From the opening minutes, you just knew it was the beginning of something incredible. When Rooney was on form in those Champions League matches, he seemed to galvanise everyone around him—crowd and team-mates alike. Most cherished goal? Either the one when he chipped David James in the FA Cup, or the FA Cup volley against Middlesbrough. There was a period of his career when he regularly seemed to score goals that were works of art. Both of these strikes were thrilling pieces of imagination. As for his time at the club, five years from now I will remember him as one of the most unselfish forwards English football has seen, with—in his prime—a vision and fearlessness that truly set him apart. Greg Johnson: Features Editor, Squawka.com Twitter: @gregianjohnson Most cherished goal? AC Milan 2007: It had a bit of everything, as these things often do. The awareness and pace of his run to offer the option down the right-hand channel, and then the power and precision of his shot to fire it home at the near post was ridiculous. His time at the club will be remembered as a job well done, regardless of whether or not some people think it's a job he could have done better. He has won everything and topped the charts for goals scored, and it seems the sacrifices he did make during the tougher years have been forgotten, to some extent. While eyes may now roll when talk turns to his work rate, back in his pomp—when United hardly had a midfield to speak of—he was taking care of creating chances, scoring goals and ensuring the deficiencies in the middle didn't undermine the whole team. He was the sort of combination player, a footballer of many roles all at once, that would be lauded as the future of the game today. In the future, hopefully his value, besides the statistics, is remembered and understood. Sam Pilger: Sports Writer and Author Twitter: @sampilger My favourite Rooney goal is certainly not the best he scored, but it will remain with me for personal reasons. It was scored at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in November 2014 to help secure a 2-1 win for United, offering a false glimmer of hope amid the turgid Louis van Gaal era. With five minutes remaining, United were leading 1-0 when Angel Di Maria slipped Rooney through to allow him to expertly chip the ball over Wojciech Szczesny to claim three points. Beside me stood my nine-year-old son in the home end surrounded by Arsenal fans. This was a test for him: Could he keep in his celebration and feign disappointment when he wanted to be jumping up and down at the sight of his hero scoring such a decisive goal? He did not flinch, and made his dad proud, allowing us to conceal our smiles as a few minutes later we walked in to the north London night. Most cherished Rooney game? With only minutes remaining United were heading for defeat in the 2016 FA Cup final, trailing Crystal Palace by a goal when Rooney decided to intervene. He picked the ball up in the centre of the field and made his way past four players before cutting it from the byline for Juan Mata to grab an equaliser and take the game to extra time. This was the bullish Rooney, the one who would simply not accept defeat. Jesse Lingard scored the winner, but it was the striker's determined run that made it all possible. How will I look back at Rooney in five years? History will be kind to him. He has scored too many goals and won too many trophies for it to be anything but generous to him. With distance, his legend will grow. Rooney's achievement's will be respected and revered, even if he won't inspire the same sort of blind love as other United greats such as George Best, Eric Cantona and Roy Keane. Doron Salomon: United fan, former blogger, regular Tweeter Twitter:@DoronSalomon For my favourite Rooney game, I'd say his debut. There was so much anticipation and excitement, and then when it finally happened no one could have foreseen a hat-trick particularly in the manner it arrived—a striker's finish; a goal out of nothing and a set piece that showed skill and deftness. For my favourite goal of his, I'd go with that overhead kick. I know it's an obvious one and there are some terrific counter-attacking goals, volleys and chips, but that one against Manchester City was something else. Unusually I was sitting at pitch level, second row, for that game and had a perfect view of it. Despite the fact it seemed to all happen in slow motion at the time, it was only once I was out of the ground and having seen a replay that it hit home how good it was. People were losing their heads in the stands, complete disbelief at what they'd seen. The improvisation and skill to pull it off is unquestionable. But for me, being there with a perfect view of it down low where you can really feel the speed of what's going on, it was incredible. How will I look back on him? That's harder. Assessing him purely as a footballer, I think he's had an incredibly selfless career at Old Trafford. His peak coincided with United's best team during his spell at the club and his role in that side was essentially to help get the most out of Cristiano Ronaldo. His contribution in terms of goals is evidently excellent, and I'm aware how highly regarded he's been as a leader off the pitch for the younger players. He was a fantastic footballer, easily one of the best I've seen in a United shirt. However, he played on at United for too long, and watching him over his final three or four seasons was quite uncomfortable. On occasions, it clicked but most of the time he struggled and ultimately on a regular basis it cost the side any kind of attacking rhythm. I'll forever be pleased United signed him and that we got to watch him, but I don't revere him in the same way I do others. Scott Patterson: Writer, Republik of Mancunia, ESPN Twitter: @R_o_M My most cherished Rooney goal was his winner against AC Milan in 2007. That's one of my favourite seasons, and it just felt like we were back. He scored right at the end and just looked totally overwhelmed. My favourite game is probably when we beatEverton 4-2 in the same season. He played a blinder, and his goal turned the game. His goading of the Toffees fans made it really feel like he was one of us. That was the day we won the league, even if not mathematically, and it was because of him. In five years' time, it will probably be fairly similar to now but maybe a bit softer. He was a brilliant player for us—at times our most important—but the only reason why he's our record goalscorer is because the club wouldn't let him leave on the two occasions he asked to. So that taints what he achieved. Ed Barker: Writer and Podcaster, United Rant Twitter: @unitedrant Rooney had better games, scored better goals and had more influence, but I still cherish his debut more than most. At Old Trafford, on one of those European nights, he scored a stunning hat-trick. It doesn't get better, does it? Roy of the Rovers stuff. Magic, spine-tingling and why we watch football. That goal against Manchester City still stands out. For the quality not only of Rooney's strike (ignore the fact he shinned it) but the buildup and final delivery. But also for the opponent, moment and iconic imagery. Six years on and it is probably his finest moment in a United shirt. It may be that memories of Rooney's double attempt to get out—to Manchester City and Chelsea, of all places—will fade over time. It may be that memories of his horrendous decline over the past four seasons will also be forgotten. It may be that, instead, he is remembered only as United's finest goalscorer and as one of the best players to have performed for the club. It's not binary, though. It's OK to remember both the good and the bad. Elijah Sofoluke: Football blogger Twitter: @MrScripto The game I would pick is the 5-2 against Tottenham Hotspur in 2009. It epitomised Rooney; playing out of position for the team and still being the best player on the pitch—and the catalyst for the comeback. My most cherished goal would be his second in 2007 against AC Milan. That was the first time I had seen United in a Champions League semi-final and winning the game like that was amazing. But mostly it was the celebration and seeing how much it meant to him. In five years I will look at him as I do now. My favourite United player who could have been even more but was still enough to be a great. Richard CannCo-host, Red Voices Podcast Twitter: @RichardCann76 Choosing a most cherished Rooney game is tough, simply because he has played so many huge games and produced so many wonderful goals, both in terms of technique and importance. The match I remember most fondly is his debut against Fenerbahce. Having arrived as an 18-year-old for a vast sum, the pressure must have been huge, but it didn't show as he hit a stunning hat-trick. We knew his potential after his emergence at Everton, but that game confirmed to me and other United fans we had a genius on our hands. His most cherished goal is much easier to pin down. While his stunning volleyed equaliser in a home win over Newcastle United, powered by anger and frustration, was representative of Rooney as a player, nothing will beat scoring a ridiculous overhead kick at home to win the derby. He has been our real life Roy of the Rovers. In five years, I think Rooney will be viewed much as he is, or should be, now: one of the most important and productive players in United's history—a legend in spite of his perceived disloyalty—but also as a genius whose decline started all too soon and who stayed at the club too long. His departure will bring about a mixture of sentimentality and relief; a sad but necessary parting of ways. Sam Homewood, Television Presenter, YouTuber, CITV, Full Time Devils Twitter: @SamHomewood I didn't want to pick his debut as I'm sure everyone else will, but I have to. To arrive at that age and for that amount of money and then deliver that performance was astonishing. Most cherished goal is the volley against Newcastle; it was Rooney summed up. Temper, frustration, brilliance and glory. There should also be a shout-out to the last-minute goal again Milan too, not his best but one I remember fondly. I really don't know what it will be like to look back at Rooney's career in five years. Looking back at his early years, it almost feels that the longer he's been at the club the more he's pulled away. He once celebrated a goal against Everton by kissing the badge, but time has changed everything so dramatically that he's now criticised for "not really getting it". I understand that, but it's a weird situation. Maybe the transfer requests will be forgotten, and we'll all say we were there when Rooney surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's goalscoring record and we'll sing his name forever. Or maybe—and I suspect this is what will happen—he'll return to Everton as their ultimate "boy done good," with the bad blood between them completely forgotten. He was never quite completely Manchester United's, in his or anyone else's heart. After all, once a blue always a blue. Quotations obtained firsthand. Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com #WayneRooney #ManchesterUnited #ACMilan