114 Facts About Wayne Rooney

1.

Wayne Mark Rooney was born on 24 October 1985 and is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of the Major League Soccer club DC United in the United States.

2.

Wayne Rooney spent much of his playing career as a forward while being used in various midfield roles.

3.

Widely considered one of the best players of his generation, Rooney is the record goalscorer for Manchester United, and was the record goalscorer for the England national team from 2015 to 2023.

4.

Wayne Rooney has made more appearances for England than any other outfield player.

5.

Wayne Rooney joined the Everton youth team at the age of nine and made his professional debut for the club in 2002 at the age of 16.

6.

Wayne Rooney scored 253 goals for United in all competitions, making him the club's top goalscorer of all time; his 183 Premier League goals for United is the third-most scored by a player in that competition for any single club, behind only Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero.

7.

Wayne Rooney has the third-highest number of assists in the Premier League, with 103.

8.

Wayne Rooney made his senior international debut for England in February 2003, aged 17, and is England's youngest-ever goalscorer.

9.

Wayne Rooney played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship.

10.

Wayne Rooney later featured at the 2006,2010 and 2014 World Cups, and was widely regarded as his country's best player.

11.

Wayne Rooney has won the England Player of the Year award four times, in 2008,2009,2014, and 2015.

12.

Wayne Rooney came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or, and he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI for 2011.

13.

Wayne Rooney won the Goal of the Season award by the BBC's Match of the Day poll on three occasions, and his February 2011 bicycle kick against city rivals Manchester City won the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award.

14.

Wayne Rooney is of Irish descent through his father, and was brought up as a Roman Catholic with his younger brothers Graham and John.

15.

Wayne Rooney admired Brazilian striker Ronaldo, with Rooney stating that "as an out-and-out forward [Ronaldo] was probably the best".

16.

Wayne Rooney began playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and scored 72 goals in one season, a record which stood until May 2010.

17.

At the age of nine, Wayne Rooney played for Copplehouse boys' club in the local Walton and Kirkdale junior league and scored 99 goals in his final season before being spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton.

18.

Wayne Rooney joined Everton at age nine, and was the Everton mascot for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool as an 11-year-old.

19.

Wayne Rooney scored eight goals in eight games during Everton's run to the FA Youth Cup Final in 2002.

20.

Arsene Wenger on Wayne Rooney following his last-minute goal against Arsenal in October 2002.

21.

Wayne Rooney became the second youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle.

22.

In December, Wayne Rooney was named 2002's BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

23.

In January 2003, Wayne Rooney signed his first professional contract, which made him one of world football's highest-paid teenagers.

24.

Wayne Rooney ended his debut season with eight goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees.

25.

Wayne Rooney was given the number 8 shirt upon his arrival at Old Trafford.

26.

Wayne Rooney was United's top league scorer that season with 11 goals, and was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award.

27.

In September 2005, Wayne Rooney was sent off in a goalless Champions League match against Villarreal of Spain for sarcastically clapping the referee, who had booked him for an unintentional foul on an opponent.

28.

Wayne Rooney sustained a broken metatarsal in that game after a tackle from Paulo Ferreira.

29.

Wayne Rooney was sent off in the 2006 Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Porto defender Pepe with his elbow.

30.

Wayne Rooney was punished with a three-match ban by the FA, following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen that explained his decision.

31.

Wayne Rooney threatened to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image if they did not revoke the ban, although the FA had no power to make such a decision.

32.

Wayne Rooney subsequently signed a two-year contract extension the following month that tied him to United until 2012.

33.

In June 2007, Wayne Rooney was given squad number 10, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

34.

Wayne Rooney played in 2008 UEFA Super Cup where United lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg and was unable to make an impact.

35.

On 4 October 2008, in an away win over Blackburn, Wayne Rooney became the youngest player to make 200 Premier League appearances.

36.

Wayne Rooney ended the season with 20 goals in all competitions.

37.

Wayne Rooney scored in the 90th minute of the season-opening 2009 Community Shield, although United lost the game to Chelsea on penalties.

38.

Wayne Rooney scored a goal from the penalty spot to level the game after Andrey Arshavin had put the Gunners ahead.

39.

Wayne Rooney was involved in all the goals scored in the game, hitting the opener and then giving away the ball for Hull's equalising penalty.

40.

Bayern won the match after netting a second away-goal and Wayne Rooney was substituted after re-damaging his ankle.

41.

On 25 April, Wayne Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year.

42.

Wayne Rooney became the third Manchester United player to score 100 Premier League goals, joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

43.

Wayne Rooney accepted the charge, but not the automatic two-match ban which was handed to him.

44.

Wayne Rooney started the season with a goal in the first league game at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion.

45.

Wayne Rooney played a one-two with Ashley Young before a sharp turn and finish from outside the box which found the bottom corner of the goal.

46.

Wayne Rooney scored in the second game of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when he headed in a Ryan Giggs cross.

47.

Wayne Rooney won man of the match, scoring two free kicks, a penalty, and contributing an assist for Nani.

48.

Wayne Rooney returned to action on 18 October 2011, where he scored two goals in the Champions League group stage match against Otelul Galati and surpassed his former teammate Paul Scholes as the highest-scoring Englishman in Champions League history.

49.

Wayne Rooney scored another brace in his next game, against Atletico Bilbao in the UEFA Europa League.

50.

Wayne Rooney continued to score goals in FA Cup consecutive matches against Fulham and Chelsea.

51.

On 5 July 2013, new United manager David Moyes announced that Wayne Rooney was not for sale, after speculation that Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs looking to sign him.

52.

On 21 February 2014, Wayne Rooney signed a contract extension with Manchester United, which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2019.

53.

Wayne Rooney provided one assist to Robin van Persie as Manchester United defeated Olympiacos in the second leg of Champions League round of 16 tie.

54.

On 22 March 2014, Wayne Rooney scored two goals for United at West Ham, moving him to third place on the club's all-time scoring list with 212 career goals.

55.

Wayne Rooney ended the season as both the top scorer and assist for Manchester United in the league with 17 goals and 10 assists.

56.

Wayne Rooney is a great inspiration to the younger members of the team and I believe he will put his heart and soul into his captaincy role.

57.

Replay seemed to have shown that Wayne Rooney had not come in contact with the goalkeeper.

58.

England manager Roy Hodgson defended Wayne Rooney, saying that he was forced to take evasive action.

59.

On 21 May, Wayne Rooney captained Manchester United in the 2016 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace.

60.

On 7 January 2017, Wayne Rooney scored against Reading in the third round of the FA Cup to equal Bobby Charlton as Manchester United's top goalscorer of all time.

61.

Wayne Rooney's goal was his 249th in 543 games for Manchester United, reaching the landmark in 215 matches and four seasons quicker than Charlton.

62.

Wayne Rooney finished his Manchester United career as the all-time top scorer for the club with 253 goals, winning five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup.

63.

Wayne Rooney appeared on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football as a pundit in February 2018, garnering praise from The Guardian writer Sachin Nakrani for being "articulate, intelligent, insightful and honest".

64.

On 28 June 2018, Wayne Rooney signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with DC United of Major League Soccer, and was given the number 9 jersey.

65.

Wayne Rooney's debut came on the unveiling of Audi Field, DC United's new home stadium.

66.

Wayne Rooney was named captain after three games by manager Ben Olsen, with the consent of former captain Steve Birnbaum.

67.

Wayne Rooney's team made the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs but were knocked out at home to the Columbus Crew SC in the first round, in which his attempt in the penalty shootout was saved by Zack Steffen.

68.

Wayne Rooney ended his time in the MLS with 23 goals and 15 assists in 48 regular-season appearances.

69.

Wayne Rooney had a total of 25 goals in 52 appearances for DC United.

70.

On 6 August 2019, with two years left on his contract with DC United, Wayne Rooney agreed a deal to return to England as a player-coach with EFL Championship side Derby County in January 2020.

71.

Wayne Rooney was eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, through his Irish paternal grandparents.

72.

Wayne Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly defeat against Australia at the Boleyn Ground on 12 February 2003 at 17 years and 111 days, coming on at half-time as manager Sven-Goran Eriksson fielded a different team in each half.

73.

England attempted to hasten his recovery with the use of an oxygen tent, which allowed Wayne Rooney to enter a group match against Trinidad and Tobago and start the next match against Sweden.

74.

Wayne Rooney was red-carded in the 62nd minute of the quarter-final for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho as both attempted to gain possession of the ball.

75.

Wayne Rooney seemed to be pulled back by Carvalho, and then trod on his opponent's groin as the Chelsea defender was on the floor trying to win the ball, an incident that occurred right in front of the Argentine referee Horacio Elizondo.

76.

Elizondo confirmed the next day that Wayne Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho.

77.

Wayne Rooney top scored for England in their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign with nine goals; one behind the UEFA section's overall top goalscorer, Theofanis Gekas of Greece.

78.

On 14 November 2009, Wayne Rooney captained England for the first time in a pre-tournament friendly with Brazil.

79.

Wayne Rooney was given the England number 10 shirt by manager Fabio Capello ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

80.

Wayne Rooney scored three goals, one against Switzerland and two against Bulgaria.

81.

Wayne Rooney was able to play in the final match of the group stage against Ukraine on 19 June 2012, scoring the only goal of the game, allowing England to progress to the quarter-finals.

82.

On 12 October 2012, Wayne Rooney became England's fifth-highest goalscorer of all time after scoring his 30th and 31st international goals in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against San Marino.

83.

Wayne Rooney captained England for the first time in a competitive match in the same game.

84.

Wayne Rooney ended the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as England's top scorer with seven goals.

85.

On 8 September 2015, Wayne Rooney broke Charlton's England goalscoring record, netting his 50th international goal from a penalty in a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, at Wembley, in his 107th appearance for England, equalling Ashley Cole as his country's fifth-highest capped player; this was his 300th professional career goal.

86.

In March 2017, Wayne Rooney had been left out of the England squad by England boss Gareth Southgate.

87.

However, Wayne Rooney announced his early retirement from international football with immediate effect on 23 August 2017, snubbing Southgate's recall.

88.

On 4 November 2018, it was confirmed that Wayne Rooney would come out of international retirement to play one final match for the England national football team against the United States at Wembley Stadium on 15 November.

89.

On 12 July 2022, Wayne Rooney was announced as head coach for DC United.

90.

Wayne Rooney was a versatile attacker, capable of playing anywhere along the front line; although his preferred role was as a striker.

91.

Wayne Rooney was used as a supporting forward, or even as a winger.

92.

Wayne Rooney was occasionally deployed as a false attacking midfielder, and as a false 9 throughout his career.

93.

Wayne Rooney's ball striking ability saw him score from inside his own half for Manchester United, Everton, and DC United.

94.

Wayne Rooney was praised for his work-rate and stamina by players, managers and the media, and was highly regarded for his dedication and willingness to press opponents when possession had been lost in order to win back the ball and start attacking plays.

95.

Wayne Rooney was a fast, agile player in his youth; however, several injuries throughout his career, in addition to weight issues, affected his speed and mobility as his career progressed, which led to some in the game accusing him of not quite living up to his full potential.

96.

Formerly the all-time leading goalscorer for the England national team, Wayne Rooney is viewed as one of England's greatest players.

97.

In my time in the England setup, Paul Gascoigne, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney just had that little bit more than all the others.

98.

Wayne Rooney is a supporter of the Leeds Rhinos rugby league club.

99.

Wayne Rooney met his wife, Coleen, while both were at secondary school.

100.

Wayne Rooney has a tattoo of the words "Just Enough Education to Perform", the title of an album by his favourite band, the Stereophonics; Coleen arranged for the group to play at their wedding reception.

101.

Kai Wayne Rooney signed with Manchester United in 2020, becoming a second-generation player for the Red Devils.

102.

In 2004, Wayne Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitutes in Liverpool, while dating his then-girlfriend.

103.

Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John Wayne Rooney, is a professional footballer who plays for Oldham Athletic.

104.

Wayne Rooney has endorsement deals with Nike, Nokia, Ford, Asda, and Coca-Cola.

105.

Wayne Rooney appeared on seven consecutive UK-version covers of Electronic Arts' FIFA video game series from FIFA 06 to FIFA 12.

106.

In October 2010, Wayne Rooney was dropped by Coca-Cola from an advertising campaign following issues surrounding his private life.

107.

The second publication, The Official Wayne Rooney Annual, was aimed at the teenage market and edited by football journalist Chris Hunt.

108.

That same month, Wayne Rooney was the fifth most-followed footballer globally on Twitter.

109.

In terms of top UK Twitter individuals, Wayne Rooney ranked at number 9 in October 2014.

110.

In July 2002, while Wayne Rooney was with Everton, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Wayne Rooney and his parents to enter the player into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management.

111.

However, Wayne Rooney was already with another representation firm at the time, while Stretford's transaction went unreported to the FA, and he was thus charged with improper conduct.

112.

On 1 September 2017, Wayne Rooney was arrested in Wilmslow by Cheshire police after being caught driving over the prescribed alcohol limit.

113.

On 16 December 2018, Wayne Rooney was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County, Virginia, charged with public intoxication and use of profanity in public.

114.

Wayne Rooney was released without bail on a personal recognizance bond, then fined $25 plus $91 in costs without going to court.