Wayne Rooney

Everton

Youth squads

Rooney began playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and scored 72 goals in one season, a record which stood until May 2010. At the age of nine, Rooney played for Copplehouse boys' club in the local Walton and Kirkdale junior league and scored 99 goals in his final season before being spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton. Rooney joined Everton at age nine, and was the Everton mascot for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool as an 11-year-old. In the 1995–96 season, he scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton's under-10s and 11s, and by the age of 15, he was playing for the under-19s. He scored eight goals in eight games during Everton's run to the FA Youth Cup Final in 2002. In the final defeat against Aston Villa, he scored one goal and, upon scoring, revealed a T-shirt that read, "Once a Blue, always a Blue." Rooney was included in Everton's first team squad for their training camp in Austria in the summer of 2002 and scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 friendly victory over SC Weiz on 15 July.

First team breakthrough

Rooney was an unused substitute in Everton's 1–0 away win over Southampton on 20 April 2002. He made his senior debut on 17 August in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, starting the match and assisting the first goal by Mark Pembridge. He became the second-youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle. In that match, he was booed by the Tottenham fans who shouted "Who are ya?"…

Early international career and Euro 2004

Rooney was eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, through his Irish paternal grandparents. In 2015, he confirmed that he had rejected an approach from Ireland at the age of 16, describing himself as "English through and through". Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly defeat against Australia at the Boleyn Ground on 12 February 2003 at 17 years and 111 days, coming on at half-time as manager Sven-Göran Eriksson fielded a different team in each half. On 6 September of that year, aged 17 years and 317 days, he became the youngest player to score for England, equalising in a 2–1 away victory over Macedonia in a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying match. His first tournament action was at UEFA Euro 2004, in which he became the youngest scorer in competition history on 17 June 2004, when he scored twice in England's workgroup match against Switzerland, which ended in a 3–0 victory; however, this record was topped by Swiss midfielder Johan Vonlanthen four days later. Rooney added two more goals in the competition in England's final group match on 21 June, a 4–2 win over Croatia, but subsequently suffered an injury in the quarter-final match against hosts Portugal on 24 June, and England were eliminated on penalties. After scoring four goals in four matches, Rooney was named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament.

2006 and 2010 World Cups

Following a foot injury in an April…

Derby County

After a poor start to the 2020–21 season saw Derby County bottom of the Championship table – their lowest position for 12 years – Derby boss Phillip Cocu was sacked, and Rooney was appointed as part of a four-man interim coaching staff alongside Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker on 14 November 2020. His debut a week later saw Derby lose 1–0 at Bristol City to leave them at the foot of the table and three points from safety, though Rooney said he could guarantee that the side would "get better (and) get out of the situation we're in and... start winning games." Following a "painful and chastening" 3–0 defeat to Middlesbrough it was announced that Rooney would take sole control of the side for the next match and had removed himself from the playing squad, with Rooney making clear his desire to take the role full time. Rooney started sole charge with The Rams in 24th, six points adrift of safety and on a run of four consecutive defeats; after improving Derby's form enough to get them out of the relegation zone he was appointed as permanent manager on 15 January. By mid-February 2021, having accrued 31 points from a possible 54 in his 18 games in sole charge, taking Derby up to 18th in the league and eight points clear of the relegation zone, Rooney was feted by the press for "convincing the doubters" and found himself as 25/1 outsider for the Celtic job following the resignation of Neil Lennon. Following this, however, form faltered badly with…

Wayne Mark Rooney was born in the Croxteth area of Liverpool on 24 October 1985, the son of Jeanette Marie (née Morrey) and Thomas Wayne Rooney. He is of Irish descent through his father, and was brought up as a Roman Catholic with his younger brothers Graham and John. He and his brothers attended Our Lady and St Swithin's Primary School and De La Salle School. John also later became a footballer. Rooney grew up supporting Everton. He admired Brazilian striker Ronaldo, with Rooney stating that "as an out-and-out forward [Ronaldo] was probably the best".