‘Mentally strong’… Wayne Rooney says something unexpected at Man Utd made him ‘selfish’ and transformed him
Manchester United and England icon Wayne Rooney has candidly opened up on a pivotal moment in his legendary Old Trafford career that altered his “mindset.”
The 40-year-old ex-Manchester United captain is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in Premier League history after his prolific playing spell at the Red Devils.
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Wayne Rooney netted an incredible 253 times and picked up 142 assists in 559 appearances with United after he left boyhood club Everton in 2004.
The England legend became United’s all-time leading scorer after Rooney climbed ahead of Red Devils icon Sir Bobby Charlton in the goalscoring chart.
Rooney lifted five Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy, a Europa League, an FA Cup and three League Cups before his Old Trafford exit in 2017.
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Wayne Rooney recalls the reaction when he left Everton and signed for Man Utd
Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene at Everton under David Moyes and caught the eye of legendary former Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson after his emergence.
The Manchester United legend arrived at Old Trafford when he was a teenager, with the Red Devils agreeing a deal worth £27m to sign Rooney from Everton in 2004.
Rooney cost an initial fee of £20m and United included £7m in add-ons for the transfer, with the former Red Devils striker making a real impact under Ferguson.
Wayne Rooney aged like a fine wine with this world-class moment… 💥🎯
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Speaking on his podcast, the ex-England captain admitted that he received a hostile reception in Liverpool after he decided to leave Everton when he was a youngster.
“I got death threats,” Rooney said on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show.
“My parents’ house was getting spray-painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray-painted.
“I think that’s where you have to be mentally strong. The people around you have to help.”
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Man Utd and England legend Wayne Rooney on what happened to him after the backlash over his transfer
Rooney would return to boyhood club Everton in 2017 for a brief second spell after his legendary Old Trafford spell came to an end under Jose Mourinho’s reign.
The former Everton and United striker admitted that he had to transform his mindset after the hostile reaction that was sparked in Liverpool over his 2004 transfer.
Teenage Wayne Rooney’s insane volley for Man Utd against Newcastle! 🎯💥
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“Leaving was difficult because I went to Manchester United, and Liverpool and Manchester was a big rivalry, so that made it a lot more difficult,” he continued.
“But I was always of a mindset of ‘I don’t care.’ I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get there.
“I had to stay tough in my mind. This was people from my city, so it was tough, but I thought, ‘I don’t care,’ you have to be selfish and make these decisions.”
Rooney’s illustrious career as a player came to an end in 2021 at Derby County before the United and Three Lions icon entered the world of management.
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