Manchester United fans aren’t exactly thrilled with Wayne Rooney right now, and that’s understandable given his slow start to the Premier League season. However, as we’re now into the international break, Rooney is closing in on England’s all-time goal scoring record. Despite how much he’s been chastised lately, he’s still an all-time legend for both club and country.
Rooney is third all-time on the United scoring list; just four goals away from tying Denis Law for second place.
It took a persistent effort to get him to Old Trafford in the first place. Sir Alex Ferguson revealed yesterday that Wayne Rooney twice rejected a move to Manchester United, because he just loved playing for Everton so much.
Fergie was then able to sign Rooney on his third attempt, paying Everton £27 million in 2004.
“Jim Ryan (Manchester United’s Director of Youth Football) came back from one of our academy games at the 14 years level and he said ‘I’ve seen a player’ and he said the boy is Wayne Rooney,” Sir Alex Ferguson told ITV Sport.
“We tried to get him because there’s a window at the end of the season — it’s a one-week window — where we can entice or approach a boy from another club to come join your academy, but it failed.
“The boy wanted to stay at Everton — at that time he had a love of the club and he’s an Everton fan.”
The story of Sir Alex Ferguson bringing Wayne Rooney to the Red Devils can be viewed as inspirational one on several levels. Rooney was just a teenager then, and you saw what kind of player he developed into. Maybe Anthony Martial will do the same?
Rooney turned down United twice, before coming over on the third try. Old Trafford missed out on a few transfer targets this summer, maybe they’ll land one of them with the next pursuit.
Paul M. Banks owns, operates and writes The Sports Bank.net, which is part of the FOX Sports Engage Network. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes to the Chicago Tribune RedEye edition. He also appears regularly on numerous talk radio stations all across the country. Catch him Tuesdays on KOZN 1620 the Zone.
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