Everton legend Graeme Sharp has defended the form this season of Wayne Rooney.

Toffees boss Sam Allardyce hooked Rooney in the 57th minute of the draw with Liverpool and the match facts gave a damning verdict of his display.

The former England captain, 32, managed just 12 successful passes from 17 attempts, was dispossessed twice and won only two tackles according to the analysis that was handed to Big Sam.

Sharp told the Daily Star: “I'm not a big fan of statistics to be fair. I think they've gone crazy now.

“It's all gone stat-related with everything.

“You have got stats for anything now and that's the way the modern game is going. But there's more than just stats.

“You've got to look at influence and everything else within the team. You've got to look at team leaders. Team leaders are not just players charging up and down the pitch and covering the most distance."