Wayne Rooney turns 29: 10 things you need to know about Manchester United’s goal-machine

Wayne Rooney still has much to offer to the game, despite winning all major club football accolades.

Updated: October 25, 2014 1:33 AM IST

By R Vishal

Wayne Rooney turns 29: 10 things you need to know about Manchester United's goal-machine

Wayne Rooney of Manchester United

1. Wayne Mark Rooney, born on 24th September 1985 has his roots in Ireland. Like thousands of other Irish families in the 1940s and 50s, the Rooneys migrated to England in the wake of a slum clearance movement taking place in the country. Before representing England, Rooney was approached to play for his country of forefathers too, but chose to don the Three Lions jersey.

2. Being the oldest of three boys, his family were devoted Everton FC supporters and Rooney was even a mascot as a 11-year old in a Merseyside Derby; the high voltage derby game between Liverpool and Everton. It didn’t take long for scouts to notice Rooney’s immense potential and the robust Croxeth lad to shatter goalscoring records with consummate ease at youth level-football.

3. 2002: The year where the Rooney would burst onto the scene in a chest thumping vigour. New manager David Moyes had used Rooney for the pre-season.  16 at the time, Rooney slammed two goals against Wrexham in the league cup but the one that will go down in footballing folklore is his first league goal. Playing against defending champions, Arsenal, who were unbeaten for 30 games straight, Rooney sent powerful shot from 30 yards out, which beat goalkeeper David Seaman to give Everton a 2-1 win.

4. Accolades soon started pouring in for the and England manager Sven Goran Erikson, soon rewarded him with his first cap. He teamed up with Michael Owen to make a deadly strikeforce up front. Euro 2004 in Portugal would see him touch greater heights after scoring four goals in the group stages. However, tragedy struck when he was forced off the field due to an injury during the quarter-final match against the hosts. England subsequently went on to lose the game on penalties.

Wayne Rooney gets his marching orders in the quarter-final against Portugal in World Cup 2006

Wayne Rooney gets his marching orders in the quarter-final against Portugal in World Cup 2006

5.Things would brighten up for Rooney in that summer as he moved to Manchester United  for  GBP 25.6 million, a record fee for a teenager at the time.  Quickly establishing himself as a central figure in Sir Alex Ferguson’s young team,  Rooney’s partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo was a treat to watch and gradually elevated himself as an all-time great at the ‘Theatre of Dreams’.

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6. In 313 games thus far, he has plundered 219 goals in 313 appearances for the Reds and hot on the heels of breaking the club’s all-time record, held by Sir Bobby Charlton who has scored 249 goals. He is now the club captain too. He has won all major honours with the club, including five league winner medals.

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7. As David Beckham got older, the voyeuristic English media started preying in Rooney’s personal life.  The latter and his partner, Coleen McLoughlin became quite the darlings of the shutterbugs. Rooney had met Coleen when they were  in school and the couple have two sons, Kai (born 2009) and Klay (2013).

Wayne-and-Coleen-Rooney-resized

8. Rooney has landed himself in hot water a few times in career off the field.  In 2004, Rooney admitted to summoning prostitutes. He was culpable of repeating the act in 2010. His food habits and poor fitness levels have often attracted the ire of Alex Ferguson.  Rooney was red-carded in yet another quarter-final game against Portugal, this time during the FIFA World cup 2006. Rooney was also involved an altercation with Ronaldo leading up to his expulsion from the game but the pair buried their hatchet soon after.

9. Despite his portly figure and pale looks, Rooney is one of the most marketable athletes on the planet and has endorsement deals with Nike, Coca-cola and Ford. He has been a regular on the cover of EA sports’ FIFA versions over the years.  Rooney also had a hair transplant done in 2011.

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10. Alongside Lionel Messi, Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahamovic, Rooney is one of the highest earners in the game and amassed a wealth of more than 50 million, if reports are to be believed. ‘The White Pele’ earned himself a GBP 250,000-a-week contract in 2010, just weeks after threatening to leave United. In 2013, he was on par with elite earners after he was rewarded with a 300,000-a-year contract, spanning five years.

The glittering array of trophies and medals and trophies in Rooney’s trophy cabinet (individual and club) is on par or comparable with the best in business in the last decade and is difficult to document them all . The Liverpudlian’s dogged spirit, aggression, power and his ability to infuse life in his teammates are known. Not to be left behind in skill or the eye for the spectacular, Rooney can pull a rabbit out of his hat when you don’t see it coming a la the bicycle kick in the Manchester derby in April 2010. Despite his shenanigans off the pitch, which he has received a fair amount of flak over the years, Rooney is seen as one of the best ever that England have produced and still has some unfinished business in the ‘Beautiful game’, especially for England.

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