Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is not just a name, he is an era. He’s now leading Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Championship, but once upon a time, he was ruling the pitch as one of the best players the game has ever seen. 

Over 13 glorious years at United, Rooney scooped up 16 trophies and became one of only two Englishmen, alongside Michael Carrick, to win a mind-blowing collection of the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup. We also cannot forget those 253 goals for Manchester United that cemented his place as their all-time top scorer. With 183 Premier League goals for United, Rooney ranks third for the most goals scored for a single club, just behind Harry Kane and Sergio Agüero. 

He was named England Player of the Year four times and scored 53 goals in 120 caps, making him England's second-most-capped player and their second-highest scorer ever. From street-kid vibes to global superstar, Rooney’s football journey is iconic, and he’s still making waves, now from the sidelines.

Before he was scoring goals, Wayne was trading punches as a boxer. These days, he still throws a few jabs for fun, using the sweet science as his go-to stress buster. 
Supporting Everton from the jump, young Wayne idolized the Brazilian football magician Ronaldo, who he claimed was “the best out-and-out forward.” 

• Rooney was a goal machine right from the start. Playing for the Liverpool Schoolboys, he bagged a jaw-dropping 72 goals in one season. 
• By age 9, he was a club mascot for the iconic Merseyside Derby.
• Fast forward to 15, and Wayne was tearing it up with Everton’s under-19s. He even powered them to the FA Youth Cup final in 2002 with 8 goals in 8 matches. 
• Arsène Wenger himself called him the biggest English talent since arriving in the Premier League. 
• Rooney’s real rise came in 2002 when he fired a last-minute stunner to sink Arsenal’s unbeaten streak of 30-game. That goal made him the youngest Premier League scorer.
• By 2006, Rooney had racked up his first Premier League title and was already becoming a United icon. 
• In 2007, Rooney embraced the legendary number 10 shirt, worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Son of Jeanette and Thomas Rooney, he grew up in a family with Irish roots and a strong Catholic faith, alongside his two brothers, Graham and John. 

• School days at Our Lady and St Swithin’s were the usual, but little Wayne always had a bigger game in mind. 
• Wayne’s younger brother, John, plays professionally for Macclesfield, while another cousin, Tommy, donned the Macclesfield Town jersey back in 2004. 
• His other cousin, Jake, is also tearing up the pitch for Derby County. 
• Rooney and Coleen have been in each other’s lives since their secondary school days, and after six years of dating, they tied the knot on June 12, 2008. 
• The couple has four boys - Kai, Klay, Kit, and Cass Mac. 
• Kai followed in his father’s footsteps and started playing for Manchester United as a second-generation player.