Wayne Rooney

Infobox Football biography
playername = Wayne Rooney


fullname = Wayne Mark Rooney
dateofbirth = birth date and age|df=yes|1985|10|24
cityofbirth = Croxteth, Liverpool
countryofbirth = England
height = convert|5|ft|10|in|m|2|abbr=on
position = Striker, Second Striker
currentclub = Manchester United
clubnumber = 10
youthyears = 1996–2002
youthclubs = Everton
years = 2002–2004
2004–
clubs = Everton
Manchester United
caps(goals) = 067 (15)
133 (55)
nationalyears = 2003–
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 047 (17)
pcupdate = 16:32, 27 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 20:08, 11 October 2008 (UTC)

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, Merseyside) is an English footballer who currently plays for English Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.

Biography

Rooney is the first child of Thomas Wayne and Jeanette Marie Rooney (née Morrey). [ [http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/(S(rpqgs3itpbzra3jlvoatrany))/Content/Authors/Default.aspx?id=7515&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 harpercollins.co.uk: Wayne Rooney] ] Dead link|date=July 2008 He was raised in Croxteth with younger brothers Graeme and John, [ [http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/0502_graham_rooney.shtml newsoftheworld.co.uk: "Roo been had"] ] [ [http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1312932,00.html sky.com: "Rooney's Brother Set To Play For Ireland"] ] and all three attended De La Salle School. Wayne grew up supporting local club Everton F.C., and his childhood hero was Duncan Ferguson. [cite web |date=2008-06-13 |url=http://fourfourtwo.com/interviews/webexclusives/105/article.aspx |title= Wayne Rooney Interview |publisher=FourFourTwo |accessdate=2008-06-13 ]

Club career

Everton F.C.

After excelling for Liverpool Schoolboys and Dynamo Brownwings, Everton signed Rooney on schoolboy terms at the age of ten. [cite news |url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20061024/ai_n16798326 |title=Rooney at 21 |first=Andy |last=Hunter |work=The Independent |date=2006-10-24] He was part of the youth squad, and after scoring in an FA Youth Cup match, he revealed a T-shirt under his jersey that read, "Once a Blue, always a Blue." [cite web |date=2005-09-01 |url=http://www.toffeeweb.com/players/past/Rooney.asp |title=Everton Past Players: Wayne Rooney |publisher=ToffeeWeb |accessdate=2007-03-22 ] Since he was underage at the time and therefore ineligible for a professional contract, he was playing for £80 a week and living with his family on one of the country's council estates.

On 19 October 2002, five days before his seventeenth birthday, Rooney scored a match-winning goal against reigning league champions Arsenal F.C.; in addition to ending Arsenal's thirty-match unbeaten run, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2317767.stm BBC SPORT | Football | Eng Prem | Rooney ends Arsenal's run ] ] it made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, a record that has since been surpassed twice by James Milner and currently James Vaughan. He was named BBC Sports' 2002-03 Young Personality of the Year.

At the end of the 2003-04 season, Rooney, citing Everton's inability to challenge for European competition, requested a transfer that Everton refused to oblige if the transfer fee was less than £50 million. A three-year, £12,000-a-week contract offer from the club was snubbed by Rooney's agent in August 2004, leaving Manchester United and Newcastle United F.C. to compete for his signature. "The Times" reported that Newcastle were close to signing Rooney for £18.5 million, as confirmed by Rooney's agent, but Manchester United ultimately won the bidding war and Rooney signed at the end of the month after a £31 million deal with Everton was reached. [cite web |date=2005-10-11 |url=http://dps.twiihosting.net/manutd/doc/content/doc_10_139.pdf |title=Manchester United plc Report & Accounts 2005 |publisher=Manchester United plc |accessdate=2006-11-16 |format=PDF] It marked the most expensive transfer for a teenaged player, as Rooney was several weeks shy of his nineteenth birthday at the time of the signing. [cite news |first=Phil |last=McNulty |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3607620.stm |title=Rooney worth the fight |date=2004-08-14 |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2007-02-14]

On 1 September 2006, Everton manager David Moyes sued Rooney for libel after the tabloid newspaper "The Daily Mail" published excerpts from Rooney's 2006 autobiography that accused the coach of leaking Rooney's reasons for leaving the club to the press. [cite web |author=Paolo Bandini & agencies |title=Rooney book could be pulped|work=The Guardian |accessdate=2006-09-01 |date=2006-09-01 |url=http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,1862946,00.html] The case was settled out of court for £500,000 on 3 June 2008, and Rooney apologized to Moyes for "false claims" he had made in the book regarding the matter. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2069407/Wayne-Rooney-settles-autobiography-libel-dispute-with-Everton-manager-David-Moyes.html Wayne Rooney settles autobiography libel dispute] - The Telegraph, 6/3/08]

Manchester United

Rooney made his United debut on 28 September 2004 in a 6-2 Champions League group stage win over Fenerbahçe S.K., scoring a hat-trick along with an assist. [cite news |date=2004-09-28 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3677174.stm |title=Rooney's debut hat-trick against Fenerbahçe |work=BBC Sport|accessdate=2007-05-11] One year later, he was sent off for dissent in a goalless Champions League group draw with Villarreal CF in Spain on 14 September 2005, after he sarcastically applauded referee Kim Milton Nielsen when he was booked for a foul. [cite news |date=2005-09-14 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4234188.stm |title=Villarreal 0-0 Man Utd |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2006-06-18] His first trophy with United came in the 2006 League Cup, and he was also named man of the match after scoring twice in United's 4-0 win over Wigan Athletic in the final.

Rooney was sent off in an Amsterdam Tournament match against F.C. Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Porto defender Pepe with an elbow. [cite news |date=2006-08-04 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/5247208.stm |title=Rooney & Scholes off in friendly |publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2006-11-17] He was punished with a three-match ban by the FA, following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen that explained his decision. [cite news |date=2006-08-15 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4796139.stm |title=Rooney & Scholes lose ban appeals|publisher=BBC Sport |accessdate=2006-11-17] Rooney wrote a letter of protest to the FA, citing the lack of punishment handed down to other players who were sent off in friendlies. He also threatened to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image rights if they did not revoke the ban, but the FA had no power to make such a decision. [cite news |author=Lawton, James | date=2006-09-19 |url=http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/comment/article1619219.ece |title=James Lawton: What's wrong with Wayne Rooney? |publisher=The Independent |accessdate=2007-09-14]

During the first half of the 2006-07 season, Rooney ended a ten-game scoreless streak with a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers F.C., [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/28/sports/EU_SPT_SOC_English_Roundup.php Rooney hat trick helps Man United to 4-0 win] - International Herald Tribune, 10/28/06] and he signed a two-year contract extension the next month that tied him to United until 2012. By the end of April, a combination of two goals in an 8-3 aggregate quarterfinal win over A.S. Roma and two more in a 3-2 semifinal first leg victory over A.C. Milan [cite news |title=Man Utd 3-2 AC Milan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/6582631.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-04-24 |accessdate=2008-06-07 ] brought Rooney's total goal amount to twenty-three in all competitions and tied him with teammate Cristiano Ronaldo for the team goalscoring lead.

United announced during the postseason that Rooney had taken over the #10 jersey that was vacated by Ruud van Nistelrooy, who had left for Real Madrid a year earlier. He was presented with the shirt at a press conference on 28 June 2007 by former United striker Denis Law, who had also worn the number during his tenure with the club. [cite news |title=Rooney delighted with new number |url=http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={B4CEE8FA-9A47-47BC-B069-3F7A2F35DB70}&newsid=440380 |publisher=Manchester United FC |date=2007-06-30 |accessdate=2007-06-30 ]

On 12 August 2007, Rooney fractured his left metatarsal in United's opening-day goalless draw against Reading F.C. [http://uk.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUKL1301174520070813 Rooney's broken foot adds to England injury crisis] - Reuters UK, 8/13/07] He had suffered the same injury to his right foot in 2004. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3837995.stm Rooney faces two months out] - BBC Sport, 6/26/04] After being sidelined for six weeks, he returned for United's 1-0 CL group stage win over Roma on 2 October, scoring the match's only goal. However, barely a month into his return, Rooney injured his ankle during a training session on 9 November, and missed an additional two weeks. His first match back was against Fulham F.C. on 3 December, in which he played seventy minutes. [cite news |title=Rooney return date penciled in |url=http://www.teamtalk.com/football/preview/0,16374,1778_2900311,00.html |publisher=Teamtalk |date=2007-11-23 |accessdate=2007-11-23 ] Dead link|date=July 2008 Rooney missed a total of ten games and finished the 2007-08 season with eighteen goals, as United clinched both the Premiership and the Champions League, in which they defeated league rivals Chelsea F.C. in the competition's first-ever all-English final.

Paul Stretford controversy

In July 2002, while Rooney was with Everton, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Rooney and his parents to enter the player into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management. However, Rooney was already with another representation firm at the time, while Stretford's transaction went unreported to the FA, and he was thus charged with improper conduct. [http://www.manutdblog.com/2008/07/09/wayne-rooney’s-agent-banned-and-fined/ Wayne Rooney’s agent banned and fined] - Manchester United Blog, 7/9/08] Stretford alleged in his October 2004 trial that he had secretly recorded boxing promoter John Hyland (an associate of Rooney's first agent) and two other men threatening and attempting to blackmail him for an undisclosed percentage of Rooney's earnings. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/2305232/Wayne-Rooney%27s-agent%2C-Paul-Stretford%2C-banned.html Wayne Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, banned] - The Telegraph, 7/22/08]

Stretford's case collapsed due to evidence that conflicted with his insistence that he had not signed Rooney, and on 9 July 2008, he was found guilty of "making of false and/or misleading witness statements to police, and giving false and/or misleading testimony." In addition, the contract to which Stretford had signed Rooney was two years longer than the limit allowed by the FA. Stretford was fined £300,000 and banned from working as a football agent for eighteen months, a verdict he promptly appealed.

International career

Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly against Australia on 12 February 2003 at seventeen, the same age in which he also became the youngest player to score an England goal. Arsenal youngster Theo Walcott broke Rooney's appearance record by 36 days in June 2006.

His first tournament action was at Euro 2004, in which he became the youngest scorer in competition history on 17 June 2004, when he scored twice against Switzerland; however, this record was topped by Swiss midfielder Johan Vonlanthen four days later. Rooney suffered an injury in the quarterfinal match against Portugal as England were eliminated on penalties.

Following a foot injury in an April 2006 Premier League match, Rooney faced a race to fitness for the 2006 World Cup. England attempted to hasten his recovery with the use of an oxygen tent, which allowed Rooney to enter a group match against Trinidad and Tobago and start the next match against Sweden. However, he never got back into game shape and went scoreless as England bowed out in the quarterfinals, again on penalty kicks.

Rooney was red-carded in the 62nd minute of the quarterfinal for stomping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho as both attempted to gain possession of the ball, an incident that occurred right in front of referee Horacio Elizondo. Rooney's United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo openly protested his actions, and was in turn shoved by Rooney. Elizondo sent Rooney off, after which Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portugal bench. Rooney denied intentionally targeting Carvalho in a statement on 3 July, adding, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but am disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not teammates." [cite news |date=2006-07-03 |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373186&cc=5739 |title=Rooney claim: No intent and no ill will |work=Soccernet |accessdate=2006-11-17] Elizondo confirmed the next day that Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho. [cite news |date=2006-07-04 |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373212&cc=5739 |title=Ronaldo cleared over Rooney red card |work=Soccernet |accessdate=2006-11-17] Rooney was fined CHF5,000 for the incident. [cite news |date=2006-07-10 |url=http://worldcup.reuters.co.uk/england/news/usnL08917618.html |title=FIFA hands Rooney two-match ban |publisher=Reuters |accessdate=2006-11-17] Dead link|date=July 2008

Personal life

Rooney met Coleen McLoughlin while both were in their final year of secondary school. They married on 12 June 2008 after six years of dating, during which Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitution in Liverpool in 2004. "I was young and stupid. It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen." [cite web| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/3588112.stm| title=Rooney admits prostitute visits| publisher=BBC| date=2004-08-22| accessdate=2008-09-08] He has a tattoo of the words "Just Enough Education To Perform," from a song by his favorite band, the Stereophonics; McLoughlin arranged for the group to play at their wedding reception. [cite web| url=http://www.nme.com/news/stereophonics/37949| title=Wayne Rooney gets Stereophonics tattoo| publisher=NME.com| date=2008-06-09| accessdate=2008-09-08] In April 2006, he was awarded £100,000 in libel damages from tabloids "The Sun" and "News of the World," who had claimed that he had assaulted her in a nightclub. Rooney donated the money to charity. [cite web| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/apr/12/newsoftheworld.sun| title=Rooney wins £100k damages| publisher=guardian.co.uk| date=2006-04-12| accessdate=2008-09-08]

Rooney and McLoughlin reside in a £4.25 million mansion in the village of Prestbury, Cheshire, [ [http://www.manutdzone.com/funstuff/unitedtouristsguide.html manutdzone.com: "United Tourist Guide"] ] which was built by a company owned by Dawn Ward, the wife of former Sheffield United striker Ashley Ward. [ [http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/homesearch/latest/readershomes/s/147/147163_premiership_class.html manchesteronline.co.uk: "Premiership Class"] ] He also owns property in Port Charlotte, Florida. [cite web| url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article7136.ece| title=Col and Wayne are Dunroonin| publisher="The Sun"| date=2007-01-08| accessdate=2008-09-08] While Rooney was house hunting in Cheshire after signing with Manchester United, he spotted a pub sign that read "Admiral Rodney," which he misread as "Admiral Rooney." He nonetheless considered it a positive omen for his future home."kicker", 18 April 2006, p. 79-80]

Rooney has endorsement deals with Nike, [cite web| url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-391684/Nike-attacked-Rooney-warrior-picture.html| title=Nike attacked over Rooney 'warrior' picture| publisher=dailymail.co.uk| date=2006-06-21| accessdate=2008-09-08] Nokia, [cite web| url=http://www.bbdo.de/de/home/presse/aktuell/2006/30_03_06_soccer-ranking.html| title=Ronaldinho is footballer with the world's highest brand value| publisher=BBDO Germany| date=2006-03-30| accessdate=2008-09-08] Ford, Asda, [cite web| url=http://www.talkingretail.com/news/1786/Wayne-Rooney-deal-for-upmarket.ehtml%20talkingretail.com| title=Wayne Rooney "deal" for upmarket Asda| publisher=talkingretail.com| date=2006-03-15| accessdate=2008-09-08] and Coca-Cola. [cite web| url=http://www.coca-cola.co.uk/football/waynerooney/ coca-cola.co.uk| title=Coca-Cola Football: Wayne Rooney| publisher=Coca-Cola| accessdate=2008-09-08] He appeared on the cover of the "FIFA 06, FIFA 07" and "FIFA 08" video games in the UK, [cite web| url=http://www.electronicarts.co.uk/games/8948,xbox360/| title=FIFA 07| publisher=Electronic Arts| accessdate=2008-09-08] and his image was featured on Coke cans during the 2006 World Cup.

On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with HarperCollins, [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4790978.stm |title=Striker Rooney nets £5m book deal |publisher=BBC |date=2006-03-10 |accessdate=2006-06-07] who granted him a £5 million advance plus royalties for a minimum of five books to be published over a twelve-year period. The first, "My Story So Far," an autobiography ghostwritten by Hunter Davies, was published after the World Cup. The second publication, "The Official Wayne Rooney Annual," was aimed at the teenage market and edited by football journalist Chris Hunt.

In July 2006, Rooney's lawyers went to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation to gain ownership of the Internet domain names "waynerooney.com" and "waynerooney.co.uk", both of which Welsh actor Huw Marshall registered in 2002. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/5207766.stm |title=Rooney's legal fight for website |publisher=BBC |date=2006-07-23 |accessdate=2007-02-22] Three months later, the WIPO awarded Rooney the rights to "waynerooney.com." [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_east/6048958.stm |title=Rooney wins his fight for website |publisher=BBC |date=2006-10-13 |accessdate=2007-02-22]

tatistics

"Statistics accurate as of match played 4 October 2008" [cite web |url=http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/rooney.html |title=Wayne Rooney |accessdate=2008-10-05 |last=Endlar |first=Andrew |publisher=StretfordEnd.co.uk ]

International goals

Honours

Manchester United

*Premier League
**Winner (2): 2006-07, 2007-08
**Runner-up (1): 2005-06
*FA Community Shield
**Winner (1): 2007
*FA Cup
**Runner-up (2): 2004-05, 2006-07
*Football League Cup
**Winner (1): 2005-06
*UEFA Champions League
**Winner (1): 2007-08

Individual

* FA Premier League Player of the Month: February 2005, December 2005, March 2006, November 2007
* BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year: 2002
* Bravo Award: 2003
* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* PFA Team of the Year: 2005/2006
* Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2005/2006
* FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2004/2005
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2004/2005, 2005/2006
* PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2005/2006

References

External links

* [http://www.waynerooney.com waynerooney.com] - The Official Wayne Rooney Site
* [http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={FE60904B-C2A8-4E60-9B05-700DBBC29BBC}&section=playerProfile&teamid=458&bioid=91962 Wayne Rooney profile] at [http://www.manutd.com/ ManUtd.com]
* [http://www.thefa.com/England/SeniorTeam/Players/Postings/2004/03/Wayne+Rooney+Everton.htm thefa.com] - The Football Association
*
*FIFA player|196842|Wayne Rooney

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Persondata
NAME=Rooney, Wayne
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=24 October 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH=Liverpool, England
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=