Wayne Rooney is a player in a hurry. He burst onto the Old Trafford stage in September 2004, just as he had burst into the Premiership with Everton, and has become arguably United’s most important player
Rooney was brought up in Croxteth, Liverpool, where he attended the De Le Salle School from 1997 until 2002. He has two younger brothers who both later attended the school.
Rooney grew up supporting Everton, and his childhood hero was Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson. Rooney first appeared for Everton in the youth team, and during his time there, after scoring a wonder-goal in the FA Youth Cup, he revealed a T-shirt under his jersey that read "Once a blue, Always a blue". However, he would end up playing just two seasons in the Everton first team before demanding, and then executing, a transfer. This has left him on unfavourable terms with Everton fans, and this showed when he returned to Goodison Park and was booed severely.
Rooney has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in the autumn of 2002, particularly coming to the public's notice on 19 October 2002 when he scored a memorable goal against title-holders Arsenal, ending their 30-match unbeaten run. Receiving the ball on the edge of the 18-yard box, Rooney brought it down with instant control and turned away from his marker before firing it into the top left-hand corner of the goal, beating England keeper David Seaman and giving Everton a late 2-1 victory at Goodison Park. This goal provoked Clive Tyldesley, the match commentator, to exclaim "Remember the name: Wayne Rooney!". Rooney was five days short of his 17th birthday when he scored the goal, making him the youngest ever goalscorer in the Premiership at the time. Rooney gained a huge reputation on the world stage due to his performance at Euro 2004, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring four goals in three group games
He is seen as one of the most exciting prospects of the modern game, his transfer fee from Everton still stands as the highest ever paid for a teenager. He normally played as a second striker to Ruud van Nistelrooy for his club team before van Nistelrooy's move to Real Madrid, although during 2005-06, he showed his versatility as a player by shifting to the midfield and playing on both flanks. Rooney has been compared to players such as Diego Maradona[1]. He wore the number 8 shirt for Manchester United from 2004 until June 2007, when his shirt number was changed to number 10. He wears the number 9 shirt for England.
Much was expected of the England’s 18-year-old hero of Euro 2004 when he swapped Everton, his boyhood club, for the Reds in August of that year. Yet becoming the world’s most expensive teenager - £20m rising to a possible £30m – did little to phase him.In his very first game at Old Trafford he produced a stunning display, putting behind him the frustrations of a metatarsal injury, to blast anunforgettable debut hat-trick past a shell-shocked Fenerbahce.It was a fairytale start to his United career and very much a sign of what was to follow.
By the end of the 2004/05 campaign he’d amassed 17 goals in 43 appearances. Sadly he missed out on his first winners medal – United losing on penalties to Arsenal in the FA Cup final – but was rightly named PFA Young Player of the Year.Rooney’s second season at Old Trafford saw him again take huge strides, justifying his billing as one of the world’s most exciting young talents. He netted the Reds first goal of the season against Debreceni and ended the season with 19 goals in 48 matches. It was a contribution that saw him named both Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year by fans and PFA Young Player of the year (again) by his fellow professionals.
The young striker openly endeavours to better his goals tally each season, and the 2006/07 campaign saw Rooney achieve his aim with 23 strikes as he shook off a difficult World Cup with England.Rooney's red card during England's quarter-final defeat to Portugal caused a media storm in Britain, not least because of the involvement of United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, but Wayne rose abovethe controversy to register another excellent year at United
.A long goalscoring drought was emphatically ended with a stunning hat-trick at Bolton, while doubts over his ability to find the net in Europe were well and truly banished as he netted four goals in the Champions League latter stages; home and away against Roma and a brace at Old Trafford against AC Milan.The development of the man Sir Alex describes as “the best young player I have seen in my time” continues at a rate which causes either exhilaration or consternation, depending on who you support.
Name - Wayne Rooney
Date of Birth - October 24,1985
Place of Birth - Croxteth,England
Nation - England
Height - 178cm
Weight - 78 kg
Position - Forward
Teams - England (International)
Manchester United (FA Premier League)
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