The biography of the footballer Wayne Rooney is the idol of the era! Rooney said goodbye to the national team. Too bad we won't see him in Russia

These were just the first few lines of a marvelous story that spanned Wayne's entire career at United. He has become one of the club's top players and is generally recognized as one of the best players in the Premier League and Champions League.

He also coped with the difficulties of self-discipline that accompanied him in his youth. He was once known as an irritable guy who constantly got into unpleasant situations with the authorities; now he is a reformed man who sets the standard for the entire team.

Overcoming such personality traits requires willpower, but Wayne dug deep and rooted out the counterproductive part of himself.

Then there was another hesitation in the autumn of 2010 when he announced that he wanted to pull out and leave Old Trafford.

I was not just upset - I was shocked, but it did not take long for this small issue to be settled. Pretty soon, Rooney put his signature on the proposal to extend the contract.

I'm not going to share what was said between us during the discussions at the time, but from the very beginning I knew that his heart is still with us - and this did not go away when we set about pointing out mistake in his reasoning. Rooney has what it takes to have a special place in United's history.

He has already begun rewriting many years of club records; he still has time to beat them before it's time for him to finish football.

I would like to think that I made one or two great decisions during my time in football, and one or two that I want to forget! But there is no doubt that among the best of them is the signing of Wayne Rooney from Everton.

77 minutes, 19 seconds

Everything is spinning and spinning very fast.

Then it kicks in – the incredible feeling of satisfaction I get from scoring a goal in the Premier League. Like the feeling you get every time I hit the golf ball off the club and right on the green.

This is ecstasy - a crazy burst of power.

It's a wave of emotion - but it hits me like no other before.

This feeling that I scored the ball that put Manchester United ahead, it's just huge, selfish, crazy. If I could bottle this vibration, I could make a better energy drink.

A moment later, I'm back at normal speed, I'm coming to my senses.

Everything is in focus again: a sound, a roar so loud it could hurt my ears, like a plane taking off; pain in my legs, sweat running down my neck, dirt on my uniform. More and more noise. There's so much of it, it's right above me. Someone grabs my shirt, my heart is beating out of my chest. The crowd is chanting my name:

“Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!”

And there is no better feeling in the world.

Then I look up and see the scoreboard.

Understanding who I am and what I did quickly returns to me - as abruptly as a boxer comes to his senses after a pinch of ammonia. I am Wayne Rooney. I've been playing in the Premier League since 2002 and just scored the winning goal in the Manchester derby, probably the most important game of the season for fans from the red half of the city. A goal that points out to our noisy neighbors, Manchester's other half, their place. A goal that reminded them that United now have a richer history and more success. A goal that tells the whole country: we are on our way to winning another Premier League title.

The best goal in my career.

As I stand with my arms outstretched and my head thrown back, I can feel the hatred coming from the City fans in the stands behind me - it's like static electricity. Insults, screams and curses bounce off me. Faces red with rage, middle fingers pointed at me. They get mad, but I don't care. I know how much they hate me, how they rage; I can understand where these emotions come from - I feel the same way every time I lose at anything.

This time they're mad, but I'm not.

I know there is nothing better than this.

I shipped hundreds of balls during my time in the Premier League - for Everton and United; goals in league matches, cup games, cup finals, useless friendly matches, practice double-sided matches. But this goal is special. As I run back to midfield, still ringing in my ears, I replay those seconds in my head. It's funny, I know, but I'm afraid I'll never be able to feel it again. I want to remember what happened, to relive this moment again and again, because it is beautiful.

We were under pressure, I remember it: a 1-1 draw, an equal and tight game. A few seconds before the goal, I try to return the ball to my attacking partner Dimitar Berbatov - he is the exact copy of Andy Garcia in The Godfather 3, as dangerous as Andy Garcia in The Godfather 3 - but my touch was too hard. The ball flew over the Bulgarian. The soul went to the heels.

One of the most popular and strongest players of his generation, Wayne Rooney became an Everton player by signing a two-year contract with the Liverpool club. This was reported by the press service of "taffy". Other details of the transfer of the 31-year-old Englishman remain unknown at the moment.

Recall that

Rooney has been with Manchester United for the past 13 years.

- the striker moved to the camp of the "devils" from Everton, of which he is a pupil.

Wayne's return to Liverpool has already been commented on by Blues head coach Ronald Koeman.

“I saw in Wayne big ambitions and a winning mentality – he knows how to win titles. I am very glad that he decided to return home: he loves Everton and really wanted this return. Rooney is only 31, so I have no doubts about his abilities, ”the Dutch specialist emphasized.

In turn, the footballer himself announced his desire to achieve considerable success with Everton.

“Winning trophies with Everton will be the pinnacle for me. I feel like the club is moving in the right direction and getting players of the right caliber. I want to be part of a successful team.

It's great to be back at my home club - I can't wait to meet new partners and get on the field.

In general, I am delighted. Everton must win trophies and we are taking steps in that direction.

As I have said in recent years, if I leave Manchester United, the only option left is with Everton. In England I will not play for any other team. As soon as I realized that Everton were interested in me, I told my agent: "Go and talk to them, I want to come back here." Koeman was a big influence on my return to the club. When it became clear that I would leave Manchester United, Ronald talked to me a couple of times and told me how much he wanted to see me in the team. There were other options, but when Everton appeared, they all disappeared, ”Rooney admitted.

"It's not easy to see a great player play less than he wants to and I couldn't resist when he said he wanted to return to Everton," Manchester United manager José Mourinho explained in an interview with the club's press office. It's no secret that I've been a fan of Rooney for a long time. He was an exemplary professional throughout his time at the club and will go down in history for years to come.

His experience, concentration and determination will be missed. I wish him all the best for the future."

At the same time, a touching video appeared on the official Manchester United twitter in connection with the departure of Wayne, reminiscent of the main milestones in the "red" part of the player's career.

Rooney, who is a native of Liverpool, learned the basics of football in the Everton system from childhood.

The Liverpool school also wanted to see a talented boy, but the Merseysiders did not have a single chance for this -

the future superstar (like his entire family) was an ardent fan of "taffy".

The progress of the striker in the youth teams of Everton was so obvious that in the summer of 2002, Rooney made his debut for the first team of the Blues at the age of 16.

The striker continued to amaze with his skill at the heart of the Liverpool team - just a couple of months after his debut, Wayne was already the author of the youngest goal in the history of the club and the "killer" of the fantastic 30-match unbeaten run of London Arsenal in the English Premier League

After spending two promising seasons for “taffy”, as well as a bright European Championship - 2004 as part of the England team, “Shrek”, as a football player nicknamed by fans for a slight resemblance to a popular cartoon character, moved to Manchester United.

The transfer amount, according to media reports, amounted to €37 million and became a record for players under 20 years old.

At the same time, to say that Rooney did not work out at least one penny from his considerable transfer fee, no one’s tongue will turn: for 13 years in the “red” T-shirt, Wayne has come a long way from a super-promising player to a living legend of English (and world) football .

It was with the Devils that the goalscorer became a six-time English champion, a National Cup winner, a three-time League Cup winner, as well as a winner of the Champions League, the Europa League and the Club World Cup - the list of achievements is truly impressive.

Achieved considerable Rooney in terms of personal statistics.

Perhaps the striker's most significant achievement was the title of top scorer in the history of Manchester United.

- a goal against Stoke City in January of this year turned out to be 250 (!) for the football player in the Mancunians, allowing his author to surpass the club's legendary Bobby Charlton in the scorer race.

Still, Wayne's last seasons at Manchester United can hardly be called successful. Injuries, controversial coaching decisions and the precarious position of the team, trying to return to the status of the hegemon of the Premier League after the departure of the great Sir Alex Ferguson, made a tangible contribution to the forward's visible regression, who eventually moved to the bench of the "devils".

Under such conditions, Rooney's departure from Manchester was seen as a very real option, despite his great authority and invaluable contribution to the success of the team.

And after the news of the upcoming purchase by the club from the same Everton of 24-year-old Romelu Lukaku, it became almost obvious that next season, perhaps the best player in the England national team of the 21st century will play somewhere else, and confirmation of this did not make wait for yourself.

You can find other news, materials and statistics on English football, as well as in the groups of the sports department on social networks

England's most productive striker in the 21st century, Wayne Rooney, has announced his retirement from the national team. According to the football player, the long-term game for the Three Lions team was originally his cherished dream and was the fulfillment of desires.

Rooney thanked everyone who "walked this path with him" and acknowledged that it was time to make way for the next generation.

A native of Croxteth, a suburb of Liverpool, he made his debut for the English national team in February 2003 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest player in the team's history at that time (three years later, his record was broken by Theo Walcott, who came on as a substitute, being 36 days younger ).

In the same 2003, on September 6, Rooney became the youngest goal scorer for England (17 years 317 days). And in the summer of 2004, he also updated the age record as the youngest scorer at the Euro among all countries. It is appropriate to add that before being invited to the first team of the country, Rooney was regularly called up to the youth teams of the U15, U17 and U19.

He played his final match in a jersey with the legendary emblem on November 11, 2016 at London Wembley. England defeated Scotland in the qualification for the 2018 World Cup, and their leader played all 90 minutes, but could not distinguish himself.

However, Rooney is already the top scorer in history for the national team - 53 goals in 119 games. Only the legendary goalkeeper Peter Shilton entered the field more often than him (125 meetings).

Twice Rooney competed with the Russian team - and both times not too well. In October 2007, the British lost to ours at Luzhniki in the key qualifying match for Euro 2008. The athlete, who was then in the prime of his career, opened the scoring in the middle of the first half, but after the break, Roman Pavlyuchenko's double brought success to the hosts (2:1).

In June 2016, Rooney ran unsuccessfully 78 minutes before his replacement in a match against Russia at the European Championship in France (1:1).

Thus, he will definitely not come to the 2018 World Cup in our country as an active player in the England national team - except perhaps as a spectator or TV employee. True, even before Rooney's official statement, experts were skeptical about his chances of entering Gareth Southgate's final application for the tournament. The new mentor of the "Three Lions" clearly relies on other performers. At the same time, Rooney's age is not of paramount importance in this case.

Yes, he'll turn 32 at the end of October, but Southgate has 30-year-old Jamie Vardy playing an important role in attacking the national team, and has repeatedly called up 34-year-old Jermain Defoe throughout the year.

In the case of Rooney, however, one should pay attention to the injuries that the athlete suffered over the years of performances, and the general deterioration of the body: Wayne began to play a lot at the highest level too early.

“You know, actually Southgate called this week and expressed his desire to see me in the national team. It was nice, I really appreciate this attitude,” Rooney told his official website. But I have been thinking about this important question for a long time. I had to tell Gareth about the decision. It was hard for me. I consulted with my family, the closest people and Everton coach Ronald Koeman.

Playing for the national team was special for me. Every time I was called up to a match as a captain or as a player it was a privilege and I thank everyone who helped me.

But now is the time to leave. I will forever be a passionate fan of the England team.

Leaving Manchester United was hard, but I know I made the right decision by returning home to Everton. Right now I want to focus on helping the team be successful."

Last July, Rooney left Manchester United after 13 years of almost non-stop performances. In the 2016/17 season, the striker lost his place at the base, often coming on as a substitute or remaining on the bench. Moreover, the head coach of the Mancunians, Jose Mourinho, wanted to get rid of the veteran even earlier, but at that time there were no worthy options for continuing the Englishman's career.

The specialist did not hide that he did not seriously count on Wayne, preferring to trust positions in the front line to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The last time Rooney tried on the jersey of the "red devils" in the victorious final of the Europa League with the Amsterdam "Ajax" (2:0). In Stockholm, Mourinho released the ex-club captain in the 90th minute.

Despite a sad parting with the team, in whose ranks the football player nicknamed Shrek won the Premier League five times, the FA Cup and the Champions League once each, he left Manchester in the status of the best scorer in club history: 253 goals in more than 450 matches.

Rooney does not stop hitting achievements now, dressed in the equipment of a more modest Everton from Liverpool.

So, after the meeting of the second round of the 2017/18 Premier League with Manchester City (1:1), thanks to another well-aimed shot, he took the grandmaster bar of 200 goals in the elite division of the English championship.

Only one player in history has scored more - the outstanding Alan Shearer of Newcastle (260).

In the structure of Everton, in which Rooney returned to “finish”, he stayed from the age of ten. It was from here that, in the early 2000s, he attracted the attention of Manchester United scouts, other clubs and the national team, and also became the youngest goalscorer of the Toffees (at 16) and earned the right to be called the “golden boy of English football”. By the way, many analysts consider Rooney the best player in the country of his generation.

Well, it's too early to put an end to Shrek's sports biography. So far, another European Cup autumn awaits him. Already on Thursday, Everton will play the second leg of the Europa League play-off round against Hajduk in Split. The first meeting ended with a confident victory for the Liverpool team (2:0). Apparently, the group stage is almost guaranteed to them.

You can find other news, materials and statistics on English football, as well as in the groups of the sports department on social networks

Breaking all conventions, he literally burst into the world of English football in order to one day become its brightest star. Shrek is the legend of Manchester United, Everton and the England national team. But what allowed this talented British player to achieve all this? We will try to find out the answer to this question by digging into the past of the great master.

Wayne Rooney's early years, childhood and family

However, let's not get ahead of ourselves...

In early childhood, the future football player and his two younger brothers attended a Catholic school, and in the evenings they ran to the legendary Goodison Park stadium, where their favorite team, Everton, played. The guys themselves loved to play football. Despite the overweight that Wayne has always been known for, he has always been a very prominent figure on the football field.

As noted in some biographical sources, already at the age of seven, our today's hero began to play for the football team of one of the local pubs, instantly becoming its main star. This state of affairs continued in the future. Wayne was the top scorer of his school squad, as well as the children's club Copplehouse Boys, which played in one of Liverpool's amateur leagues.

It was here that during one of the matches of the children's team, Wayne Rooney was noticed by Everton scouts, who immediately invited him to their school. Some time later, representatives of the city's main team, Liverpool, also contacted the young striker. However, choosing one of the two, our today's hero still preferred his beloved Everton.

At the Taffy Academy, our today's hero immediately became one of the brightest players. He scored a lot, gave frequent assists and stood out on the field with his native Irish strong-willed style of play. At some point, Wayne fell in love with all the players and coaches of the club so much that at the age of eleven they began to let him out on the field as the mascot of the Liverpool squad. It was believed that the scoring red-haired guy brings good luck to the players and contributes to the scoring success of the team.

Wayne Rooney's best goals

The rapid progress of the young forward continued in the future. In the games of the junior teams of Everton, Rooney scored a hundred goals per season, and therefore quickly moved from one team to another. So already at the age of fifteen, Wayne ended up in the youth squad of Everton (U-19), in which players of a more mature age usually performed. The football player also played a lot for the “junior” teams of England. As part of these teams, he repeatedly became the winner of various international competitions.

Wayne Rooney football career

On August 17, 2002, our today's hero first appeared on the field in the English Premier League match against Tottenham. Since then, Wayne has become an important part of the team, and some time later - and its main star. For a long time he was the main favorite of the local public.

Rooney scored a lot and was always visible on the field. Despite being overweight, which has always been a hallmark of a football player, already in 2003, Wayne began to be frequently called up to the England national team. Having clearly shown himself in the qualifying matches, the talented striker became one of the leading players in the team and, together with the national team of his country, went to the European Championship in Portugal (2004). On the European fields, Wayne showed himself very brightly and was even included in the symbolic team of the entire tournament.

Wayne Rooney plays FIFA10 with Russian voice acting

It was at this point that rumors spread in the press that the modest "toffees" would not be able to keep the talented young striker. Many clubs in Europe joined the fight for him, however, in the end, the negotiators of Manchester United achieved success. After refusing to renew his contract with Everton, Wayne joined the Merseysiders for 27 million pounds. Since then, at Goodison Park, Rooney was always booed, and at Old Trafford they were literally carried on their hands.

In his ten seasons with Manchester United, Wayne Rooney has become a true hero of this club. He was loved by the audience, coaches, and therefore, probably, the football player himself hardly ever had time to regret the choice he had made. For ten years, our today's hero has managed to win the English Championship five times, as well as lift the Football League Cup and the FA Super Cup three times over his head.

In addition, in 2008, while playing in a Manchester United shirt, our today's hero managed to win the Champions League. So, already now we can say that the career of this outstanding player was not in vain.

Wayne Rooney's personal life and accompanying scandals

In June 2008, our today's hero married his school friend Colin McLaughlin (now Rooney). Before marriage, they dated for six years. Today, the couple is raising two children - sons Kai (born in 2009) and Clay (born in 2013).

However, the family life of the Rooney couple was not always cloudless. In 2009, news began to appear in the English press that Wayne often used the services of prostitutes. Subsequently, these messages received their official confirmation. A serious scandal erupted around the personality of the forward, but in the end the excitement was calmed down. Wayne publicly apologized for his actions, noting that he used to be simply "young and stupid."

Currently, he still lives with his wife Colin.

Wayne Rooney now

On August 31, 2017, Wayne Rooney was stopped by police while driving a Volkswagen, which, as it turned out, did not belong to him. The footballer was in a state very far from being sober. All evening he drank in a bar and, as eyewitnesses recalled, danced on the tables to the songs of the Oasis group. The court sentenced the defender to 100 hours of community service and deprived him of his rights for 2 years. The football player publicly repented of his deed and apologized to fans, relatives and the management of Everton. He stated that he fully agreed with the verdict and hoped that he would benefit society in compulsory work.

Wayne Rooney is an outstanding English footballer, one of the best players in the English Premier League. He is a graduate of the Liverpool club Everton, in which he made his debut in 2002. In 2004 Wayne was announced to sign for Manchester United for £25.6m. He won all possible national and European trophies with the Reds, scoring the most beautiful goal of the season three times. Since 2003, he has been playing for the England national team, having played at two European Championships and three World Championships. In 2014, he scored the first goal for the national team in the final tournament of the world championship. He is the owner of the largest weekly salary: 350,000 pounds.

• Full name: Wayne Mark Rooney
• Date and place of birth: October 24, 1985, Liverpool (England)
• Position: Forward (Attacking midfielder)

Club career Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney was born in one of the unfavorable areas of Liverpool - the town of Croxteth, in the family of a handyman and a housewife. Rooney began his football journey at the age of seven, playing for the local Western pub team. At the age of nine, in an internal competition between Liverpool schools, the young Waney managed to score 99 goals and attracted the attention of Everton and Liverpool scouts. Despite the fact that Liverpool's base was closer to Rooney's home and the Reds offered a better contract, Wayne's family supported Everton and persuaded him to sign with the Blues.

It was in the academy of "toffees" that one of the most talented players of his generation managed to reveal himself. Rooney stood out with good technique and excellent vision of the field. In 2002, he first got into Everton's squad for the English Premier League match, but did not play that season. Rooney scored his first goals for the Toffees during a pre-season tour in Austria, and he officially got his start in October 2003, when he scored a double against Wrexham in the League Cup. Rooney set a string of records this season, becoming Everton's youngest ever debutant and the youngest Premier League goal scorer at 16 years and 360 days.

The beginning of an international career and a scandalous transfer

The following summer, Rooney went to the European Championship, where he became the driving force behind the Three Lions team, scoring 3 goals and providing 1 assist in the group stage. Upon returning to Foggy Albion, "Uazza" entered into a small conflict with the leadership of "toffees", who wanted to keep a talented player, but Wayne himself was already thinking about new heights. Hours before the transfer window closes, Rooney moves to Manchester United for £20m, where he receives number eight.

Career in the camp of the "Red Devils" began for Rooney just great: a hat-trick against Galatasaray in the Champions League. In his first season, Wayne became a key player for Manchester United, securing the position of center forward. Despite many personal achievements, Rooney received his first medal only in 2006, when Wigan Athletic was beaten in the League Cup final, and Rooney himself made a double and became the best player of that match.

In subsequent years, Wayne continued to dazzle with United, receiving the number 10 number from Ruud van Nistelrooy, who migrated to Real Madrid. In the 2006/07 season, Shrek issued the first championship medals for itself, subsequently repeating this achievement 5 more times. The following season, Rooney played the final match of the Champions League against Chelsea, in which the Mancunians won on penalties. In the 2012/13 season, Rooney noticeably lost ground, but together with Robin Van Persie, he formed the most productive bunch of the Premier League, which brought the Manchester club the 20th championship.

Wayne has always had a bad temper. Once at Everton in training, he almost beat up David Moyes, and in 2006 he elbowed Pepe, receiving his first disqualification. Also, there were disqualifications for swear words on camera, sarcastic antics towards the referee. In general, Rooney has a great capacity for work and an excellent delivered blow. The great Sir Alex Ferguson spoke of him:

“This is the best wagon I have ever worked with”

Before the start of the 2013/14 season, Manchester United was headed by David Moyes, with whom Rooney had already worked at Everton. On August 11, 2013, Wayne, along with the Mancunians, beat Wigan Athletic (2: 0) and won the FA Super Cup. In February 2014, the Englishman extended his contract with the Manchester club until June 2019. At the end of the season, he became the Reds' top scorer, scoring 17 goals in 29 Premier League matches. With the arrival of the Manchester United coaching bridge, Louis van Gaal Rooney was appointed team captain. During the 2014/15 season, he was used in two positions: a striker and a central midfielder. At the end of the football year, he again became the club's top scorer, scoring 12 goals in 33 Premier League matches. The following season was less productive for Wayne, he was injured and missed 2.5 months, so he only scored 8 goals in 28 Premier League matches. Rooney and the team did not remain without a trophy this season, having won the FA Cup.

Wayne Rooney achievements

"Manchester United"

• Champion of England: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
• League Cup winner: 2006, 2009, 2010
• UEFA Champions League Winner: 2008
• FA Super Cup winner: 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016

• BBC Young Athlete of the Year: 2002
• Golden Boy Award Winner: 2004
• Premier League Player of the Month: February 2005, December 2005, March 2006, November 2007, January 2010
• Leading scorer in European Cup/UEFA Champions League history by a British player: 29 goals
• Sir Matt Busby Prize Winner 2006, 2007
• Manchester United's top scorer in the English Premier League: 158 goals
• PFA Young Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
• Fans' Player of the Year in England: 2006, 2010
• PFA Player of the Year in England: 2010