Wayne Rooney, an English professional football manager and former player, is considered one of the best players of his generation and a British great. He holds the record for most goals scored for Manchester United and was England's top goalscorer from 2015-2023. Rooney also holds the record for England appearances by an outfield player. While primarily a forward, he played various midfield roles throughout his career.
Wayne Rooney will feature in Soccer Aid 2025, playing for England against the World XI. Celebrities and former players are bonding ahead of the charity match. Soccer Aid raises money for children.
Wayne Mark Rooney was born in October 1985. He is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation.
In 1995, Birmingham ended the season being relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1995.
In the 1995–96 season, Wayne Rooney scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton's under-10s and 11s teams.
On 20 April 2002, Wayne Rooney was an unused substitute in Everton's 1–0 away win over Southampton.
In July 2002, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Rooney and his parents to enter into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management, while Rooney was already with another firm.
In 2002, Wayne Rooney scored a goal for Everton in the FA Youth Cup Final against Aston Villa, revealing a T-shirt that read, "Once a Blue, always a Blue."
In 2002, Welsh actor Huw Marshall registered waynerooney.com and waynerooney.co.uk.
In 2002, at the age of 16, Wayne Rooney made his professional debut for Everton, where he had joined the youth team at the age of nine.
In December 2002, Wayne Rooney was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.
In January 2003, Wayne Rooney signed his first professional contract, making him one of world football's highest-paid teenagers.
In February 2003, at the age of 17, Wayne Rooney made his senior international debut for England, becoming England's youngest-ever goalscorer.
In August 2003, Wayne Rooney scored his first goal of the 2003–04 season in a 2–2 away draw against Charlton Athletic.
In February 2004, Wayne Rooney scored two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in a 3–3 away draw against Southampton.
In June 2004, at UEFA Euro 2004, Wayne Rooney became the youngest scorer in the competition's history on June 17, 2004, scoring twice in England's match against Switzerland. He added two more goals on June 21 in the match against Croatia but was later injured in the quarter-final on June 24. Despite the injury, Rooney was named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.
In July 2004, Everton offered Wayne Rooney a new five-year contract, but he submitted a transfer request on 27 August amid increasing speculation about his move.
In his October 2004 trial, Stretford alleged that he had secretly recorded boxing promoter John Hyland and two other men threatening and attempting to blackmail him for a percentage of Rooney's earnings.
In 2004 Wayne Rooney scored his first treble in European competition in his United debut against Fenerbahçe.
In 2004, Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitutes in Liverpool while dating his then-girlfriend, Coleen.
In 2004, Rooney's cousin, Tommy Rooney, played for Macclesfield Town.
In the summer transfer window of 2004, Wayne Rooney moved to Manchester United for £25.6 million from Everton.
Wayne Rooney fractured his left metatarsal in United's opening-day goalless draw against Reading on 12 August, the same injury he had suffered to his right foot in 2004.
In September 2005, Wayne Rooney was sent off in a Champions League match against Villarreal for sarcastically clapping the referee.
In March 2006, Rooney signed a sports book deal with HarperCollins for a £5 million advance plus royalties for a minimum of five books.
In April 2006, Wayne Rooney faced a race against time to recover from a foot injury sustained in a Premier League match to participate in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. England used an oxygen tent to hasten his recovery.
In July 2006, Rooney's lawyers sought ownership of the domain names waynerooney.com and waynerooney.co.uk from Huw Marshall through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
On 4 August 2006, Wayne Rooney was sent off in the Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto after hitting Pepe with his elbow.
In September 2006, Everton manager David Moyes sued Rooney for libel after the Daily Mail published excerpts from Rooney's 2006 autobiography.
During the first half of the 2006-07 season, Wayne Rooney endured a ten-game scoreless streak.
In 2006, Wayne Rooney played at the World Cup.
In April of 2007, Wayne Rooney scored two goals in an 8-3 aggregate Champions League quarter-final win over Roma.
Wayne Rooney had scored two League Cup goals back in the 2006 final.
Wayne Rooney returned to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen on 26 April, a location where he was sent off during the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Portugal.
In April 2007, Wayne Rooney scored and assisted in a league win for Manchester United at his former club Everton.
In June 2007, Wayne Rooney was given squad number 10, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy.
On 2 October 2007, after being sidelined for six weeks due to a fractured metatarsal, Wayne Rooney returned and scored in United's 1–0 Champions League group stage win over Roma.
In 2007, Rooney, a friend of boxer Ricky Hatton, carried one of Hatton's belts into the ring for his world light-welterweight title fight against José Luis Castillo in Las Vegas.
In June 2008, Wayne Rooney married Coleen McLoughlin after six years of dating. Stereophonics, Rooney's favourite band, played at their wedding reception.
On June 3, 2008, the libel case between David Moyes and Rooney was settled out of court for £500,000, with Rooney apologizing for false claims made in his book.
On July 9, 2008, Paul Stretford was found guilty of making false statements to the police and giving false testimony related to Rooney's contract.
On 4 October 2008, during an away win against Blackburn, Wayne Rooney achieved the milestone of becoming the youngest player to make 200 Premier League appearances.
In 2008, Paul Stretford left Proactive and took Rooney with him.
In 2008, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.
On 25 April 2009, Wayne Rooney scored his final league goals of the season against Tottenham, contributing two goals, two assists, and setting up a penalty in a 5-2 comeback victory for Manchester United.
In November 2009, Wayne and Coleen Rooney's first son, Kai Wayne, was born.
On 28 November 2009, Wayne Rooney scored his first hat-trick for three years in a 4–1 away victory against Portsmouth, with two of the goals being penalties.
During the 2009–10 season, Manchester United sold between 1.2 million and 1.5 million shirts.
For the 2009-10 season, Wayne Rooney won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year awards.
In 2009, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.
On 23 January 2010, Wayne Rooney scored all four goals in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Hull, his first time registering four goals in a single match. Then, on 27 January 2010, he scored the winner against Manchester City in the League Cup. Also on 31 January 2010, Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal against Arsenal.
On 16 February 2010, Wayne Rooney scored two goals against Milan. On 28 February 2010, he scored against Aston Villa, resulting in Manchester United winning the League Cup final 2–1.
In May 2010, the record of 72 goals in one season for Liverpool Schoolboys, previously held by Wayne Rooney, was broken.
In July 2010, Proactive was awarded £90,000 as restitution after suing Rooney for withheld commissions.
In August 2010, allegations surfaced that Rooney paid for a threesome with Helen Wood and Jennifer Thompson in a Manchester hotel while his wife was pregnant.
In October 2010, Coca-Cola dropped Rooney from an advertising campaign following issues surrounding his private life.
During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Wayne Rooney was at the center of controversy after criticizing England fans for booing the team following a draw against Algeria on June 18. He later apologized for his actions. England was eliminated in the second round.
In 2010, Wayne Rooney played at the World Cup.
In March 2010, Wayne Rooney twisted his ankle during a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. Despite the injury, he played in the second leg. On 25 April 2010, Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year.
In the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, Rooney was England's top scorer, netting nine goals.
On 1 January 2011, Wayne Rooney scored his first goal of the season from open play in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albion.
In February 2011, Wayne Rooney scored a bicycle kick against Manchester City, which won the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award and the BBC's Match of the Day Goal of the Season award.
On 14 May 2011, Wayne Rooney scored a penalty against Blackburn, securing Manchester United's record 19th top division title.
In July 2011, jerseys with Rooney's name and number (Rooney, 10) were the best-selling sports product under the auspices of the Premier League.
On 18 October 2011, Wayne Rooney scored two goals in the Champions League group stage match against Oțelul Galați.
On 11 February 2012, Wayne Rooney marked his 500th senior career game by scoring two goals as Manchester United beat rivals Liverpool 2–1 at Old Trafford.
In September 2012, Wayne Rooney's third book, My Decade in the Premier League, was published.
In 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. He also captained England for the first time in a competitive match.
In December 2012, Wayne Rooney scored twice and provided an assist in a 4-3 win against Reading on 1 December. Also, Rooney scored a brace in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 December 2012 which United won 3–2.
In 2012, Rooney's reported income of US$32.6 million made him the world's fifth highest-paid footballer.
In 2012, during the Euro 2012 qualification campaign, Wayne Rooney was sent off for a tackle against Montenegro. He later apologized to UEFA for his actions.
In April 2007, Rooney signed a two-year contract extension the month after scoring against Bolton Wanderers that tied him to United until 2012.
In February 2013, Wayne Rooney scored in a 2–1 win against Brazil in a friendly match at Wembley.
In May 2013, Wayne and Coleen Rooney's second son, Klay Anthony, was born.
In July 2013, David Moyes, the new Manchester United manager, publicly stated that Wayne Rooney was not for sale amidst interest from clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea confirmed on July 16th, 2013, that they had made a bid for Rooney, but Manchester United rejected it.
On 11 October 2013, Wayne Rooney became England's all-time top goalscorer in competitive international matches when he scored his 27th competitive goal in a 4–1 World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.
In February 2014, specifically on the 21st, Rooney solidified his commitment to Manchester United by signing a contract extension. This new agreement ensured he would remain at Old Trafford until 2019, solidifying his role in the team's future.
On March 22, 2014, Rooney achieved a significant milestone by scoring two goals for Manchester United in a match against West Ham. This accomplishment elevated him to third place on the club's all-time scoring list, with a total of 212 career goals.
In July 2014, following Nemanja Vidić's departure, Louis van Gaal, the new manager, appointed Rooney as the club captain of Manchester United. This was ahead of the 2014–15 season, marking a new chapter in Rooney's leadership role at the club.
In September 2014, following Steven Gerrard's international retirement, Wayne Rooney was named England's new captain. In his first match as captain on September 3, 2014, Rooney scored a penalty against Norway to give England a 1–0 friendly win.
On September 27, 2014, Rooney surpassed Thierry Henry to become the third-highest Premier League goalscorer with 176 goals in a 2–1 victory against West Ham. However, in the same match, he was sent off for a foul on Stewart Downing, resulting in a three-game suspension.
In October 2014, Rooney became the first Premier League footballer to reach 10 million followers on Twitter, ranking among the top footballers and UK individuals on the platform.
On November 22, 2014, Rooney scored a goal for Manchester United in a 2–1 victory against their rivals Arsenal. This was their first away win of the season, contributing to the team's success and marking a significant moment in their campaign.
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, in England's second group match against Uruguay, Rooney scored his first World Cup goal in a 2–1 loss. England was eliminated from the World Cup after finishing last in their group.
In 2014, Wayne Rooney ended the 2014 World Cup qualification campaign as England's top scorer with seven goals.
On February 16, 2015, in an FA Cup match against Preston North End, Rooney faced criticism for diving to earn a penalty. Despite replays suggesting no contact with the goalkeeper, Rooney later apologized, acknowledging his intent to secure a penalty. This penalty marked his first goal in 2015, ending a goalless streak.
In June 2015, in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia, Wayne Rooney scored his 48th international goal, putting him joint second in England's list alongside Gary Lineker.
Rooney signed a new five-year contract at Manchester United until June 2015.
On August 26, 2015, Rooney broke an 878-minute scoreless streak by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Belgian side Club Brugge in the Champions League play-off. This was his first treble in European competition since his United debut against Fenerbahçe in 2004.
In September 2015, Wayne Rooney broke Bobby Charlton's England goalscoring record, netting his 50th international goal from a penalty in a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, equalling Ashley Cole as his country's fifth-highest capped player.
In 2015, Wayne Rooney became the record goalscorer for the England national team, a title he held until 2023.
In 2015, Wayne Rooney won the England Player of the Year award.
In January 2016, Rooney achieved multiple milestones. On January 2nd, he scored in a 2–1 win over Swansea to move ahead of Cole as the Premier League's second-top scorer of all time. Later in January, he surpassed Denis Law in United's top scorers of all time, with 238 goals.
In January 2016, Wayne and Coleen Rooney's third son, Kit Joseph, was born.
On August 7, 2016, Rooney assisted Jesse Lingard's opening goal in Manchester United's 2–1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield. This win marked Rooney's second title as the club's captain.
In September 2016, Wayne Rooney earned his 116th appearance for England, making him the nation's most-capped outfield player of all time. He also confirmed his retirement from international football after the 2018 World Cup.
On November 6, 2016, Rooney became only the third player ever to achieve 100 Premier League assists, setting up both of Zlatan Ibrahimović's goals in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City. On November 24, Rooney overtook Ruud van Nistelrooy to become Manchester United's all-time leading scorer in European competitions with 39 goals in a 4-0 win over Feyenoord.
In 2016, Gianfranco Zola was appointed by new owners of Birmingham City, replacing Gary Rowett, leading to a decline in results.
In January 2017, Rooney reached a major milestone. On January 7th, he scored against Reading in the FA Cup, equalling Bobby Charlton as Manchester United's top goalscorer of all time with his 249th goal. Then, on January 21st, Rooney surpassed Charlton, becoming the outright leading scorer for Manchester United with his 250th goal against Stoke City.
In March 2017, Wayne Rooney was left out of the England squad by Gareth Southgate.
In May 2017, Rooney marked a significant moment by scoring the final goal at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane stadium on May 14th in a 2–1 defeat. In his last game for Manchester United on May 24th, Rooney came on as a substitute as United beat Ajax 2–0 to win the UEFA Europa League.
After speculation, it was confirmed on July 9, 2017, that Rooney would return to his boyhood club, Everton, on a two-year contract, after Manchester United allowed him to leave on a free transfer. Rooney was assigned the number 10 shirt for the 2017–18 campaign.
In August 2017, after his return to Everton, Wayne Rooney announced his early retirement from international football, snubbing a potential recall to the England squad.
In September 2017, Rooney was arrested in Wilmslow for driving over the prescribed alcohol limit. He was fined, banned from driving for two years, and ordered to complete unpaid work.
In 2017, Gareth Southgate acknowledged Rooney as one of England's top players, alongside Paul Gascoigne and Paul Scholes, during his time with the England setup.
In February 2018, Rooney appeared on Sky Sports' "Monday Night Football" as a pundit, garnering praise for his insightful and articulate commentary. He mentioned Anfield as his hardest test.
In February 2018, Wayne and Coleen Rooney's fourth son, Cass Mac, was born.
On June 28, 2018, Rooney officially signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with D.C. United of Major League Soccer. He was given the number 9 jersey, marking a new chapter in his career in the United States.
In October 2018, Rooney was named 'MLS Player of the Month' after delivering positive performances for D.C. United, including a last-ditch tackle and a game-winning assist. This recognition highlighted his impact on the team and his contributions to their success.
In November 2018, Wayne Rooney came out of international retirement to play one final match for England against the United States to promote The Wayne Rooney Foundation. He made his final appearance in the 58th minute of England's 3–0 win, ending his international career with 120 appearances.
In December 2018, Rooney was arrested at Washington Dulles International Airport for public intoxication and use of profanity. He was released without bail and fined.
Rooney had planned to retire from international football after the finals in Russia.
On March 16, 2019, Rooney scored his first hat-trick for D.C. United in a 5–0 home win over Real Salt Lake, also contributing an assist. This performance marked a significant achievement in his MLS career.
In August 2019, with two years left on his contract with D.C. United, Rooney agreed a deal to return to England as a player-coach with EFL Championship side Derby County in January 2020.
In January 2020, Rooney made his debut for Derby County, starting and assisting the first goal in a 2–1 win against Barnsley. He was instantly named captain, marking his leadership role in the team.
In November 2020, following Phillip Cocu's sacking, Wayne Rooney was appointed as part of a four-man interim coaching staff for Derby County. He later took sole control of the team and removed himself from the playing squad.
In 2020, Kai Rooney, Wayne Rooney's son, signed with Manchester United, becoming a second-generation player for the club.
In 2020, during an appearance on Manchester United's official podcast, Wayne Rooney revealed that Everton wanted him to sign for Chelsea for a bigger transfer fee.
Rooney's first goal of the 2020–21 season came in the fourth match as his 87th-minute free kick proved the difference in 1–0 win away to Norwich City.
On January 15, 2021, Rooney officially retired from playing professional football after being appointed as the permanent manager of Derby County. This transition marked the end of his playing career and the beginning of his managerial role.
By mid-February 2021, Wayne Rooney had accrued 31 points from a possible 54 in his 18 games in sole charge as manager of Derby County.
At the end of the 2021-22 season, Derby were relegated to League One after incurring 21 points of deductions.
In June 2022, with Derby County still in administration, Wayne Rooney resigned as manager.
In July 2022, Wayne Rooney was announced as head coach for his former club, MLS side D.C. United.
On 11 October 2023, Wayne Rooney returned to English football as manager of EFL Championship club Birmingham City on a three-and-a-half-year contract.
In November 2023, Rooney secured his first victory as Birmingham manager with a 2–1 win against Sheffield Wednesday.
At the end of the 2023 regular season on October 8, Wayne Rooney and D.C. United mutually agreed to part ways after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for a second straight season.
In 2023, Wayne Rooney lost the title of record goalscorer for the England national team, having held it since 2015.
In January 2024, Rooney was sacked by Birmingham City after winning only two games out of 15, leaving the team in 20th position.
In May 2024, Rooney became the manager of EFL Championship club Plymouth Argyle, signing a three-year contract.
In December 2024, with the team in last place, Rooney left Plymouth Argyle by mutual agreement with the club.
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