Wayne Rooney: a patched-up survivor with an astonishing goals record

Jan 21, 2017

It is a tribute to Rooney’s appetite and adaptability that he has surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton as Manchester United’s leading scorer. His goals and trophies make him the most influential English footballer of the last 25 years

It is one of the slightly lost details of Wayne Rooney’s unveiling as a Manchester United player, but at the time Sir Alex Ferguson felt the need to defend blowing United’s entire transfer budget for the following year on a teenager. “The fact is he is 18 and he could spend all his career at this club,” Ferguson pointed out to the gathered media while his player, all gawky jug ears and clear, hard, unblinking teenage talent, held up a red shirt and smiled politely.

Four weeks later Rooney scored a hat-trick on his Champions League debut, leading the Manchester Evening News to note slightly saltily: “To some pundits it appeared to be a huge gamble. But surely not any more.”

Tags: Football Manchester United Sport Wayne Rooney