The 5ft 9 striker from Merseyside is one of the few players nominated to be inducted into the Premier League hall of fame who still plays football actively.
The Derby County Attacking midfielder recently made a return back to England after a brief stint in the US after playing for D.C United.
Rooney’s career kick offed at the tender age of 16 when he made his debut for Everton in a Premier League match against Arsenal. His debut was one to remember as he scored a spectacular long-range goal. From then, all eyes were on the young striker.
Before joining the Everton youth set-up, Rooney played for Liverpool at the schoolboy level. He registered 72 goals in a season which is a record that stood till May 2010. Rooney was eventually discovered by Everton after a season with the Copplehouse boys’ club where he scored 99 goals.
His progression in the youth system was quite rapid as he began to play for the under 19s at the age of 15 and propelled them to a place in the 2002 FA Youth Cup Final. His performance earned him a promotion to the first team for the next season. He eventually made his debut in the 2-2 draw at home to Arsenal.
In the return leg against Arsenal, he scored the deciding goal which led to Arsenal’s first defeat after going 30 matches unbeaten. This made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history till later that same season as James Milner and James Vaughan made their debuts later that same season.
He went on to be named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2002. Rooney spent three years with Everton scoring 15 goals in 67 appearances. He was not just a goal scorer but he assisted with goals and important key passes.
The feisty youngster was full of energy and was always ready to fight for the club and his teammates. Rooney’s attributes did not go unnoticed as Manchester United came knocking on the door. Everton made Rooney one of football’s highest-paid teenagers at the time.
Rooney handed in a transfer request in the summer of 2004 despite being offered a new contract by Everton worth £50,000 per week.
Rooney’s 13-year stint did not go without controversy as he had clashes with Sir Alex Ferguson and Teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Nevertheless, Rooney’s performances never deterred despite serious injuries over the years.
He helped the club to 5 Premier League titles, 3 Football League trophies, 1 FA Cup, 1 Champions League, 1 Europa League and 1 FIFA Club World Cup.
Rooney left United in July 2017 for a dream return for the fans to Everton. His stay at the club was brief but he definitely delivered match-winning performances. He spent one full season but left after a year for a new challenge in the MLS. He then went on to become one of the galaxies of stars in the MLS.
Prior to joining Manchester United, Rooney had made his debut for England at the age of 17 making him the youngest player to score for England but a move to United helped to secure a regular first-team spot with the Three Lions.
Since then, Rooney has played at the World Cups in 2006, 2010 and 2014 and has been widely recognized as the best player in his country. Rooney is England’s all-time leading goal scorer, behind Peter Shilton, with 53 goals in 120 international caps, and second most-capped player.
He received the Goal of the Season award from the BBC’s Match of the Day poll on three occasions and the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award from his bike kick against rivals in Manchester City.
He also received many other personal accolades from UEFA, FIFA, Manchester United, D.C. United, BBC and the PFA. Wayne Rooney is without a doubt one of the best players to ever grace the English Premier League.