Good evening and welcome to Sports Mole's live text coverage of Wayne Rooney's testimonial match, a game that will see his current club Manchester United take on the side they purchased him from for £25.6m in the summer of 2004, Everton. It might well be a friendly, but it's certain to be a meaningful one.

Tributes to the England skipper have been flooding in all day, and we'll be rounding up a selection of those right after we serve up tonight's team news...

UNITED XI: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Herrera, Lingard, Martial, Ibrahimovic

You wouldn't know it was a friendly from the strength of that lineup, with Mourinho giving many of his strongest players a run-out ahead of the new season. Red Devils new boy Ibrahimovic will lead the attack along with Martial and the home fans will also get a first look at hard-tackling defender Eric Bailly.

Another of United's summer captures Henrikh Mkhitaryan only making the bench is something of a surprise. Schweinsteiger, Januzaj, Pereira and McNair have been left out entirely, but that's less surprising.

EVERTON XI: Stekelenburg, Coleman, Baines, Funes Mori, Stones, Holgate, McCarthy, Barry, Barkley, Deulofeu, Lukaku

Everton have also named a strong XI for the occasion, with summer recruit Maarten Stekelenburg starting in goal and virtually every outfield player being a first-team regular last season, the exception being youngster Mason Holgate.

There's no place in the Everton squad for their latest recruit Idrissa Gueye, although that's completely understandable given that they only completed the signing of the former Aston Villa midfielder a day ago.

With just under 40 minutes to go until kickoff, let's take a look at some of the man of the hour's accomplishments...

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Rooney became the footballing world's most expensive teenager when he swapped the blue of Everton for the red of United in 2004, and in the 12 ensuring seasons, he's scored 247 goals, won five Premier Leagues titles, two League Cups, the FA Cup, the Champions League and lifted the Club World Cup.

The England captain was hailed as a prodigy when he rose through the ranks of the Everton youth system, becoming the club's youngest-ever goalscorer at the age of 16 when he netted in a League Cup tie against Wrexham, and the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history when he struck a memorable last-minute winner against Arsenal five days before his 17th birthday.

Needless to say, some Everton fans were furious when he left Goodison Park for Manchester, but the storm has been weathered over time. Rooney was given a warm reception by most when he returned to his boyhood club to play for the Toffees in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial one year ago.

Social media has been awash with tributes to Rooney from players past and present this evening. Here are a few of the top ones...

What a career 🙌🏾 his testimonial tonight at Old Trafford vs Everton 8pm 🔴🔴 @WayneRooney pic.twitter.com/QGWvSTr6Tw — Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) August 3, 2016

Great event for a special player and mate. Enjoy your testimonial at Old Trafford tonight, @WayneRooney! @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/xe7PeAiNxN — Basti Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) August 3, 2016

Special night tonight for @WayneRooney.Happy to be involved in such a great event! Hope you enjoy your night👌🏾 pic.twitter.com/WgzAxyCzDu

— Jesse Lingard (@JesseLingard) 3 August 2016

And it's not just figures from the world of football paying their respects to Rooney...

Great to see the main man @waynerooney celebrating 12years @manutd tonight for his testimonial 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/daXHIWgoQo

— Olly Murs (@ollyofficial) 3 August 2016

And here's a few words from Rooney himself, spoken to reporters ahead of the game: "It's a big night and a proud moment and I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully it's a good game. The preparation is normal, it's a big game with the match in China getting cancelled in terms of our preparation. It won't be like a normal testimonial where you have different players playing. It's great to have Everton - they were the team I was always going to ask. I'm really appreciative to Everton and thankful for it."

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Another headline this evening is the fact that this is Jose Mourinho's first home match in charge of United. He said the following to MUTV ahead of kickoff: "[Rooney is] a player I've always wanted to sign and now I have him at the club he loves and the club he's spent some of the best years of his career, but I believe the best for him is yet to come because he's still full of motivation and happy to be a leader for the club."

Mourinho went on to confirm that Rooney will not play the entire 90 minutes this evening to give him time to rest up ahead of Sunday's Community Shield showdown with league champions Leicester City.

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Around 50,000 fans have turned out for Rooney this evening. It's not a full house, but that's good going for a non-competitive fixture. The Blues have brought a decent number of away supporters, too.

We're minutes away from kickoff now. This should be a mouth-watering taster for the season ahead!

Sunderland boss David Moyes has been spotted watching from the stands. He's not a popular figure at Old Trafford, but an important one in Rooney's career as the man who handed him his full debut. There's also a chance Moyes has an ulterior motive for being here, with rumours linking Sunderland with Marouane Fellaini.

KICK OFF! Visitors Everton get the match underway, kicking from right to left in the first period.

There's some early pressure from United as Ibrahimovic wins possession in the danger zone and sends a cross towards the back post. There's nobody there to capitalise but the hosts win a corner moments later as the ball ricochets behind off Mason Holgate.

The corner comes in towards Ibrahimovic, but Baines scrambles the ball away before it can reach the big Swede. Good early possession from United and plenty of attacking intent.

Mourinho appears to have had an impact at United already. Old Trafford is thundering with renewed hope and there have been positive signs on the pitch, with the Red Devils moving the ball around with confidence.

A let-off for United as a poor pass from De Gea catches Carrick off guard with Deulofeu looming large. Carrick plays the ball back to his goalkeeper and the Everton winger gives chase, almost latching onto it before De Gea can clear his lines.

There has been much debate about where Rooney should start and Mourinho has him providing support for Ibrahimovic tonight, which is a nightmare pairing for Everton's back three of Holgate, Stones and Funes Mori.

A nice tribute to the man himself from the Old Trafford stands...

It's all about one man tonight at Old Trafford! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/h2EOEthMqL — Manchester United (@ManUtd) 3 August 2016

Lingard and Martial have been tasked with adding width to the United attack and the former almost cut Everton wide open there, winning the ball from Funes Mori in the box before attempting to play a low pass across the face of goal. The Argentinian quickly recovered and cleared his lines at the second attempt.

Everton have offered very little in the United half, but a promising touch from Ross Barkley might have spelled trouble for the hosts just now. The England midfielder found himself in space outside the box and almost picked out Lukaku with a through-ball, but his pass was snuffed out.

There's been little in the way of goalmouth entertainment tonight, but here's a still of Rooney in action on what is a special evening for him...

The skipper in action at Old Trafford. It's 0-0 with 14 minutes gone. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/hM6OxOU694

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) 3 August 2016

Koeman has Everton well organised at the back. Holgate, Stones and Funes Mori have been tight in front of goal, but the Blues look content to allow United to come at them.

CHANCE! The first real chance of the game goes begging as Stekelenburg saves from Ibrahimovic. The Swedish veteran got away from Holgate in the box but was forced to shoot from an angle, allowing the Everton goalkeeper to make a routine stop.

This is by no means your typical friendly, with both sides looking tight and disciplined, but United have lacked any end product and Everton have struggled to claim an inch in the final third.

CHANCE! De Gea has had nothing to do all evening, but he was on hand when United needed him. Lukaku lines up Barkley in the United box and the England midfielder unleashes a strike that stings the palms of De Gea as he punches clear convincingly.

With these three in United's side, you'd expect them to have taken at least one of their chances this evening, which isn't to say they aren't going to be a force to be reckoned with in the forthcoming season:

Firepower 🔥🔥🔥 #MUFC pic.twitter.com/xmZlgjMaYs — Manchester United (@ManUtd) 3 August 2016

United could be planning wholesale changes to their XI, with substitutes Rojo, Young, Schneiderlin, Mkhitaryan and Rashford all warming up along the touchlines.

CHANCE! Luke Shaw powers forward and has a pot shot at goal, which bounces narrowly wide courtesy of a brave interception by John Stones. Good anticipation from the Manchester City target.

CHANCE! Another chance falls Ibrahimovic's way as John Stones horribly misjudges a long ball and allows the Swede to gain possession in the box. The striker unleashes a shot but Stekelenburg gets down and smothers it.

Manchester United and Everton head into the break tied at 0-0 in Wayne Rooney's testimonial. There haven't been too many real chances to speak of at either end of the park, but United have dictated play.

It hasn't been the greatest of contests, even by friendly standards, but proceeds are going to a good cause, charity organisation The Wayne Rooney Foundation, which was set up to help disadvantaged youths.

KICK OFF: A new-looked United with no fewer than seven changes gets the match back underway. Schneiderlin, Rojo, Jones, Fellaini, Young, Mkhitaryan are all on, with Blind, Zlatan, Rooney, Valencia and De Gea the only starters remaining on the pitch.

Two half-time changes for Everton, with Kevin Mirallas replacing Gerard Deulofeu and Joel Robles taking over from Stekelenburg in goal.

No doubt United fans will be excited to catch a glimpse at Henrikh Mkhitaryan tonight, the first Armenian to play in the Premier League. He made quite an impact for Dortmund in the Bundesliga, with a tally of assists that trumps even Mesut Ozil.

SUBSTITUTION: Wayne Rooney leaves the field to a standing ovation from both sets of fans early in the second half of a match that is all about him. Marcus Rashford, a youngster who has made a similar impact to Rooney during the early stages of his career, is his replacement.

The opening stages of the second period haven't been quite as cagey as the first half and Everton are venturing forward more, though neither side has registered a meaningful attempt at goal so far.

There's a half-chance for United as Ibrahimovic spots Robles off his line and tries his luck from range, but it's wide from the Swedish striker.

Mourinho cuts a frustrated figure on the sidelines. He looks far from impressed with what he is seeing from his side out there and is preparing to throw Depay, Mata, Romero and Darmian on.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Confirmation of those changes - Romero, Darmian, Mata and Memphis have come on for De Gea, Valencia, Blind and Ibrahimovic. The latter gets a great reception from the home crowd as he leaves the park.

SUBSTITUTIONS: And Everton follow suit with a lorryload of subs of their own - Lennon, Cleverley, Kone, Gibson, Oviedo and Besic replace Baines, Barry, McCarthy, Lukaku, Barkley and Holgate.

These changes mean that Everton are back to a four-man defence, with Cleverley the more advanced of the three central midfielders, while United are essentially at 4-4-2. Let's hope this injects some energy into the match.

Arguably the most memorable moment of the game was this one, when Rooney left the park to applause from all four corners of Old Trafford:

.@WayneRooney salutes the crowd after being substituted. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/WydaUbqwWC — Manchester United (@ManUtd) 3 August 2016

CHANCE! United are showing more purpose now and they almost force an opening as Fellaini tees up Mata in the box and the Spaniard unleashes a strike, which is deflected behind for a corner. Ronald Koeman is furious that play was allowed to continue as Besic is on the ground needing treatment.

SUBSTITUTION: Everton are taking no chances on Besic following that knock. He is replaced by promising youngster Tom Davies. Remember his name - he's been very impressive in pre-season.

There's a half-chance for Everton as Funes Mori meets a corner with his head and nods the ball off target. The Blues were too defensive for much of the first period, but they have stayed off the back foot in the second half, although neither side has set Old Trafford alight this evening.

Both managers will be keen to take positives from this match and for United it has been Ibrahimovic. They have lost their attacking intent since he left the park. Meanwhile, Koeman can take heart from how tightly organised his team have been.

Mourinho doesn't appear to have enjoyed the evening, but as long as Rooney has and plenty of money was raised for his charity group, it served its purpose.

There will be two minutes of stoppage time to play at Old Trafford.

The match finishes all square and Jose Mourinho and Ronald Koeman will no doubt have learned a lot more about their respective squads, but the evening was all about Wayne Rooney, one of the greatest United and England players of the modern era. He's addressing the fans on the pitch right now and getting a great reception.

Just a reminder, all proceeds from the game went to The Wayne Rooney Foundation, a charity group Rooney established to raise money for disadvantaged children. As 58,597 turned up, this is one bore draw that really counted for something.

And that's all we have time for this evening, but be sure to return to Sports Mole for coverage of all of the biggest matches during the upcoming Premier League season. Thanks for joining us.