Wayne Rooney

One of England’s Greatest Forwards of His Generation

Born on October 24, 1985

Age: 41

Profession: Professional footballer

Place of Birth: Croxteth, Liverpool, England

Wayne Mark Rooney is an English professional footballer who rose to global prominence while playing for one of England’s most historic football clubs, Manchester United. At the beginning of the 2004–2005 football season, he transferred from Everton to Manchester United for a fee of £25.6 million, a record-breaking amount at the time for a player under the age of 20. This transfer secured his place in football history. Over the course of his career, Rooney won three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the UEFA Champions League during the 2007–2008 season with his team. He was also named Player of the Year for the 2009–2010 season by both the PFA and the FWA.

Wayne Mark Rooney was born on 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, England. He is the first child of Thomas and Jeanette Rooney, a family of Irish descent. Rooney grew up in Croxteth alongside his two brothers, and all three attended De La Salle College.

During his youth, Rooney played football in Everton’s academy, where his idol was Scottish footballer Duncan Ferguson. In 2002, he was promoted from Everton’s youth system to the professional squad. Just five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored his first senior goal in a league match against league leaders Arsenal, earning the distinction of becoming the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. Between 2002 and 2004, he played continuously for Everton, appearing in 67 league matches and scoring 15 goals.

At the start of the 2004–2005 season, Rooney transferred from Everton to Manchester United for £25.6 million, setting a world record transfer fee for a player under 20 years old. He made his debut for Manchester United on 28 September 2004. During that season, he scored 11 goals in 29 league appearances.

In the 2005–2006 season, Rooney featured in 36 league matches and scored 16 goals, firmly establishing himself as a key player. He had a slow start to the 2006–2007 season, failing to score in the first ten league matches. However, he ended his goal drought by scoring twice against Bolton Wanderers, earning the Man of the Match award. Amid transfer speculation at the end of the season, Rooney put rumors to rest by extending his contract with United until 2012.

The 2007–2008 season began unfortunately for Rooney. On 12 August 2007, he suffered a fractured metatarsal bone in his left foot during a match against Reading. He remained sidelined for six months and, after returning, suffered another injury shortly thereafter. As a result, he finished the season missing ten matches.

In the 2008–2009 season, Rooney scored 12 goals in 30 league appearances. He entered the 2009–2010 season as Manchester United’s primary attacking force following Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid. On 22 August 2009, he scored against Wigan Athletic in a Premier League match, marking his 100th goal for Manchester United and becoming the 20th player in the club’s history to reach that milestone.

Rooney joined the England national team at just 17 years old. On 12 February 2003, before turning 18, he scored against Australia, becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the England national team.

Married to Coleen McLoughlin since 2008, Wayne Mark Rooney is the father of a son named Kai. Throughout his career, he was sponsored by Nike, Nokia, Ford, and Coca-Cola. He also appeared on the cover of the FIFA football video game series between 2005 and 2008.

Honours and Achievements

Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

FA Community Shield: 2007

Football League Cup: 2005–06

UEFA Champions League: Winner 2008, Finalist 2009

FIFA Club World Cup: Finalist 2008

BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year: 2002

UEFA Euro 2004: Team of the Tournament

FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2004–05

PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06

Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2005–06

PFA Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06