5 world class footballers who could have made it big in other sports

#3 Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is England's all-time top scorer with 53 goals

Back in 2003, Wayne Rooney famously announced himself to the Premier League as a 16-year-old. The then-unknown teenager scored a last-minute winning goal for Everton that ended Arsenal's 30-game unbeaten run, and Rooney practically became a household name overnight. In the following 15 years, Rooney went on to become England's all-time leading scorer while also winning multiple honors during a lengthy stay with Manchester United.

Nevertheless, it could have been very different as Rooney fell out of love with football just years ahead of his breakthrough goal against Arsenal. The striker reportedly wanted to focus on a career in boxing but was ultimately convinced to stick with football by his parents. The 33-year-old was already a gifted boxer and those close to Rooney have also stated that he had a good shot of making it as a professional.