5 Things You Need To Know About Wayne Rooney: A Profile Of The United Legend

David Tully

3 years ago

Categories: Galleries, Manchester United News

Tags: Everton, Manchester United, Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is one of Manchester United’s greatest ever players and in this article, we will profile the club legend’s career.

When he joined from Everton, nobody knew whether he would fulfil his potential completely but, after becoming United’s record goalscorer, it is safe to say that he more than justified the money that Sir Alex Ferguson spent on him.

Rooney was very much an all-rounder. He could score spectacular long-range goals, put away tap-ins and his excellent passing range meant he was a great assist-maker too.

Press the next page as we list five things you need to know about the United icon.

First Team Breakthrough

Rooney had been a prolific scorer at schoolboy level and it was no surprise when he was picked up by Everton at the age of just nine, making his way through the youth ranks up to the senior squad.

He was handed his debut by Toffees boss David Moyes against Spurs in a 2-2 draw in August 2002. However, it was his spectacular goal versus Arsenal a couple of months later which saw him come to the attention of the wider public. The last-minute winner made him the youngest scorer in Premier League history and ended the Gunners’ unbeaten run.

Rooney’s Move To Old Trafford

After two seasons with Everton, Manchester United paid £25.6m to snap him up in 2004; the highest fee paid for a teenager at the time. It was later revealed that Chelsea had offered more than the Red Devils but the player was keen to make the switch to Manchester.

Rooney made an instant impact, scoring a hat-trick in the 6-2 win over Fenerbahce in a Champions League group stage game and, while United didn’t win a trophy in his first season, he did win the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

His Career Reaches New Heights

From 2006 to 2013, Rooney was one of the best players in the world. He picked up five Premier League titles, two League Cups and a Champions League during that time.

In terms of personal accolades, he won the PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Footballer of the Year in 2010, having racked up 34 goals in all competitions that season. In fact, he did not score fewer than 16 goals in any campaign until 2015 for the Red Devils.

Rooney’s Decline After Ferguson’s Departure

The retirement of Ferguson in 2013 did lead to a corresponding decline in Rooney’s form. He was not named in the PFA Team of the Year again after the 2011/12 season, and he picked up only three more major trophies during his time at Old Trafford.

He was named club captain in the summer of 2014 but his goals began to dry up. He did, though, make sure he went out on a high, winning the Europa League in 2017 before departing the club.

His Twilight Years

Rooney joined former club Everton on a free transfer for the start of the 2017/18 season, and while he did have a pretty good first year at Goodison Park, the club decided to move him on.

He joined MLS side DC United in 2018, spending two seasons in the US before he opted to take up a player-coach role at Derby County. Following the sacking of Phillip Cocu, he became permanent manager of the Rams in January 2021 and retired from playing.