Wayne Rooney

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Rooney emerged as one of England's top young talents at Everton, joining Manchester United in 2004 for £25.6 million. He was named the PFA Young Player of the Year in his debut season before being voted the PFA Fans' Player of the Year in 2005–06 at 20 years old. He was a key figure as United won three consecutive Premier League titles from 2006–07 to 2008–09 and reached three Champions League finals in 2008, 2009, and 2011, winning the 2008 title. Rooney also scored the winning goal in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup final and was awarded the Golden Ball. After having his most prolific season to that point in 2009–10, he won the PFA Players' Player of the Year. Rooney helped United reclaim the Premier League title in 2010–11 and won his fifth and final league title in 2012–13. In total, Rooney won 16 trophies with United and became one of only two English players, alongside teammate Michael Carrick, to win the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, League Cup, UEFA Europa League, and FIFA Club World Cup.

In Their Own Story

Rooney made his senior debut for Everton on 17 August 2002 in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, starting the match and assisting the first goal. On 19 October, five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored a last-minute winning goal against Arsenal, ending Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run and making him the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history. He made his Manchester United debut on 28 September 2004 in a 6–2 home win over Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League, scoring a hat-trick and laying on an assist. His first season with United ended without winning a trophy, but his second goal in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough on 29 January 2005 was named BBC Goal of the Season. Rooney was United's top league scorer that season with 11 goals, and was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award. His first trophy with United came in the 2005–06 League Cup.

Reader's Guide

Rooney made his senior international debut for England in February 2003, aged 17, and is England's youngest-ever goalscorer. He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship, and was named in its Team of the Tournament. Rooney later featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and was widely regarded as his country's best player. He won the England Player of the Year award four times, in 2008, 2009, 2014, and 2015. With 53 goals in 120 international caps, Rooney is England's third-most-capped player (behind Peter Shilton and Harry Kane), and was the record goalscorer from 2015 to 2023, currently ranking second. In 2025, Goal named him one of the best players never to have won the Ballon d'Or; his highest finish was 5th place in 2011. Rooney was named the FIFPro Young Player of the Year in 2004–05, selected in the ESM Team of the Season for 2009–10, and included in the 2011 FIFA FIFPro World XI.

Did You Know?

• Rooney is the only player to have recorded both 200 goals and 100 assists in the Premier League.
• He is Manchester United's top goalscorer of all time with 253 goals.
• Rooney scored a hat-trick on his Manchester United debut in a 6–2 win over Fenerbahçe in the Champions League.
• He was the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history at the time, a record since surpassed by James Milner, James Vaughan, and in 2026 by Max Dowman.
• Rooney won the BBC Goal of the Season on three occasions, and his February 2011 bicycle kick against Manchester City won the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards Best Goal award.