Competitor Player Profile: Wayne Rooney

Trader Type

Long Term Investor

Profile

Background

Wayne Rooney returned to Everton Football Club in July 2017, 13 years after he had swapped Goodison Park for Old Trafford. Having left for Manchester United as a teenager, he rejoined the Blues at the age of 31 as a five-time Premier League winner, signing a two-year contract at Goodison Park.

It was with the Toffees where he burst on to the scene, progressing from schoolboy to superstar in less than 12 months. The Croxteth-born forward weighed in with eight goals in as many games during the Blues’ FA Youth Cup run in 2002 – an achievement which earned a first-team chance at the start of the following season.

He made his Everton debut on the opening day of the 2002/03 campaign against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park, and then became Everton’s youngest-ever goalscorer when he netted against Wrexham in the Worthington Cup.

Rooney’s first Premier League strike will never be forgotten – a dipping 25-yard shot, an injury-time winner, against Arsenal at Goodison on 19 October 2002, five days before his 17th birthday! He scored the only goal in a 1-0 away win over Leeds United a fortnight after his famous winner against the Gunners, and in January 2003 he was awarded his first professional contract with the Toffees.

Rooney was then made the youngest-ever England international in February 2003 when he came on as a substitute against Australia at Upton Park. In September of that year, aged 17 years and 317 days, he became the youngest player to score for the Three Lions, equalising in a 2–1 away victory over Macedonia in a Euro 2004 qualifier.

In August 2004, Manchester United paid £30 million – a world-record fee for a teenager – to acquire his services. Across his two full seasons with Everton, Rooney departed having scored 17 goals in all competitions from 77 appearances.

Contracted until: June 2019