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Wayne Rooney grew up in the Liverpool suburb of Croxteth. The son of a working-class family of fanatical Everton fans, he lived in a three-bedroom council house with his parents: Jeanette, Wayne Snr and his younger brothers, Graham and John. Rooney's old bedroom window, which was visible from the street, was filled with Everton pennants.
It was evident from an early age that the young Rooney was something special. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. His progress was rapid. Soon he was playing for the Under-19s side when still only 15. Many of the Premiership's top team's were now aware of the rising star, including Manchester United who were keeping close watch on his progress. It is even suggested a £5 million bid was prepared for the 16 year old Rooney by Fergie but came to nothing.
Sir Alex Ferguson remembers seeing him chip the United keeper from the half way line in a youth game at Old Trafford. On his his first appearance against the Reds he came on a sub at Old Trafford in the Premiership. He made an immediate impact proving a real handful for United's defenders despite being only 16. It was clear to all that Rooney had that 'something' that makes great players. He was utterly fearless, strong and powerful but with great skill and control. Above all he was dangerous, a constant threat to defences.
It was in August in the 2002-2003 season that Rooney announced himself to the Premiership as by hitting a stunning last minute long range goal against Arsenal to earn a famous 2-1 victory for Everton. He ended 2002 as BBC Young Sportsperson of the Year despite being an unknown only a few months earlier. Like many of football's legendary players he has broken all sorts of records in his youth. In February 2003 he came on as a substitute against Australia at Upton Park to he become England's youngest ever capped player. That recored broken, he promptly broke another by becoming the youngest player to score for England, at the age of 17 in September 2003 against Macedonia.
Toffees manager David Moyes was keen to shield his young star from burn-out and tried to ensure that the player was not overused or overexposed in the media. But he couldn't win as he recieved criticism for either playing him too much or too little. It was that Euro 2004 elevated the player to greater heights and made a move away from Goodison a near certainty.
Roo-mania swept across the country as "Roonaldo" Wayne scored three goals in four games against Switzerland and Croatia, which included a stunning 25-yard strike against the Croats. He put established England icons like David Beckham and Michael Owen in the shade and with the young player on such electric form it seemed England could go all the way in the competition. Even the normally reserved England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson hailed him as greatest teenage talent to emerge at a soccer tournament since Pele at the 1958 World Cup.
But just as Rooney was ready to answer England's prayers, it all ended in anti-climax. An injury in the first 15 minutes of the quarter-final against Portugal from an innocent looking challenge saw Rooney breaking the metatarsal bone in his right foot. Unable to continue, his tournament was over and without him England looked bereft of attacking ideas and eventually crashed out on penalties.
The performances were enough to convince Sir Alex Ferguson that he had to sign the striker but United were prepared to wait until the January transfer window or the season after. Everton chairman Bill Kenwright admited selling the boy wonder would "revitalise" the Goodison Park club's ailing finances and Rooney's reluctance to sign a new 5 year contract at Goodison heightened speculation he was set to leave. But as the transfer deadline approached it seemed he would stay on Merseyside and United C/O David Gill said in mid August it would be "bad business" to sign the player for £30m.
Then a surprise bid by Newcastle United of £20 million for Rooney on 24th August 2004 blew everything wide open. "When a player of that potential becomes available you have to be alive to the situation and do something about it" said Ferguson. "The twists of fate can be strange because if Newcastle hadn't gone in for him Wayne would still have been an Everton player.
Once we knew that Everton were talking to another club then we had to do something. If a player like Wayne Rooney had escaped our clutches when he is only 30 miles up the road it would have been a terrible shame for us."
United joined the chase and there was only ever going to be one winner. With stories linking the player with Liverpool prostitutes emerging in the media, angry Everton fans sprawling abusive graffiti on walls and sending death threats to his agent Paul Stretford, there was no way back for Rooney.
On 27th August Wayne handed in a transfer request and United upped their bid to £28 million the following day. Seven days after the initial Newcastle bid, Rooney's move to Old Trafford was sealed on Tuesday 31st August (transfer deadline day) for a sum that could cost the Old Trafford club
a staggering £29.86 million for a six-year contract.
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Sir Alex intended to wrap Rooney in cotton wool: "Wayne understands, as Ryan Giggs understood and Cristiano understands, we will not ask him to climb the mountain tomorrow," said the United boss."The important thing is that Wayne is a major player in five years' time.
"The big danger with young players is always that you ask too much of them too quickly. We will let him mature and develop as easily as we can".
Wayne Rooney said: "It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as Manchester United. I feel this can only improve my career, playing with top players in top competitions like the Champions League and I can't wait to meet up with the team."
The first season for Rooney at Old Trafford was a great success, scoring spectacular goals and ripping open opposition defences. His debut made world headlines and was the perfect start for the 'boy wonder'. Wayne's brilliant hat-trick at home to Fenerbahce included a stunning 30 yard shot and finely executed free kick.
A month later he scored the 2nd goal as the Red's ended Arsenal's 49 game unbeaten run and then a brace at St James Park sent Newcastle to defeat. As is traditional with any young football star, he was under a lot of media scrutiny / intrusion and plagued by newspaper stories but to his credit, the Scouser never let it affect his form on the pitch.
Despite Fergie's plans to keep not over-use Wayne, by mid-season with Ruud van Nistelrooy absent the young player was now an integral part of his manager's starting eleven. In January, as an ex-Evertonian he had the pleasure to score the winner at Anfield against bitter rivals Liverpool and in the FA Cup at home to Middlesbrough he scored two of the best goals of the season.
However, Rooney topped both of these at home to Newcastle with a wonderous 35 yard strike on the volley, that must rank as was one of the best ever seen at Old Trafford. He picked up the PFA Young player of the Year and ended the season with a brilliant display in the FA Cup Final but unfortunately no medal to show for it after the penalty shoot-out defeat in Cardiff against Arsenal.
In 2005-2006 Rooney further enhanced his reputation by becoming the club's second top scorer with 19 goals. He bagged two goals at home to Newcastle and away to Spurs, scored in the 2-0 home win over Arsenal and against his old team Everton, at Goodison in the first game of the season.
Rooney was highly influential in many matches, not only for scoring goals but providing assists and a cutting edge. He got his first professional winners medal in the 4-0 League Cup win over Wigan in which he also scored twice. Wayne was also named the Man of The Match for the final and a short time later won PFA Young player of the Year award for the second year in row.
In April 2006, a story broke in the media that he owed around £700,000 in gambling debts, connected to a business partner of Michael Owen. He also won £100,000 in libel damages from The Sun and News of the World who had claimed he had assaulted his fiancée in a nightclub - he donated the money to charity.
In United's 3-0 defeat away to Chelsea in late April 2006 the fourth metatarsal bone on his right foot was broken, putting him out of action for six weeks and threatening his (and the England team's) World Cup prospects. Rooney made the World Cup but was clearly not fully fit. A poor tournament culminated in a red card in the quarter-final exit to Portugal.
The World Cup seemed to affect Wayne at the beginning of the 2006-2007 campaign. Though he scored twice in the opening game with Fulham he had to wait 13 games for his next goal. However when the drought ended it came in spectacular fashion with an explosive hat-trick at Bolton, then two more at Sheffield United.
Goal highlights included one at the Emirates against Arsenal, a clever lob at home to Watford, an even better lob over Portsmouth's David James in the FA Cup, a brilliant counter attacking goal against Bolton, the opener against Watford in FA Cup Semi-final and putting United 3-2 up against Everton in the 4-2 thriller. He finished on a total of 23 goals scoring more than once on seven occasions and providing 11 assists.
Importantly, Rooney also finally broke his European duck (not scored since his debut against Fenerbahce) with a goal against Roma. He then scored in the next two European matches including a cracking last minute goal at home to AC Milan to clinch a 3-2 victory.
In November 2006 Wayne signed a 6 year extension to his contract keeping him at Old Trafford until at least 2012 and earning him a potential £36 million.
When Rooney arrived at Old Trafford Sir Alex Ferguson said "I think we have got the best young player this country has seen in the past 30 years". After three season's at United, few would disagree and now having won his first Premiership medal he will be hungry for more success at Old Trafford and can get even better in years to come.
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