Wayne Rooney - Facts you should know

Wayne Rooney: A household name

Wayne Rooney, a name synonymous with football all over. Whichever club or country you may support, you will still have heard of this prodigy. Introduced into the beautiful game with the big guns, at a raw age of 16, Wayne Rooney has captured the world with his football feet and continues to thrill us even till now. Wayne Mark Rooney was born on 24th of October, 1985, in Croxteth which is in Liverpool.

His parents were Wayne and Jeanette Rooney and he grew up alongside two younger brothers. Even at such an early age, Rooney's talent with the ball evident. At the age of nine, Rooney joined the youth team of his local club, Everton, and it was there that he made his professional debut in 2002 at the age of 16. Oh! What a debut it was. It was likely marking the start of an era. His era.

Becoming the youngest to ever score in the Premier League, he scored a stunner against Arsenal, who had come to the game with a 30–game unbeaten streak. After spending two seasons at the Merseyside club, he moved for a record fee (then) of £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window, becoming the most expensive teenager. That day he sold his soul to the devil, and the rest they say is history. Since then, with Rooney in the team, Manchester United has won the Premier League five times, the UEFA Champions League once, the FIFA Club World Cup once, and the League Cup twice.

Rooney has made his mark on the world, and everyone knows of him, his records and his feats on the field. But there is much more to this mercurial striker, this engine that never tires, and we’re here to see what else figures in Wayne’s World.

Personal Facts – Family:

Wayne Rooney is of Irish descent and was brought up as a Roman Catholic with younger brothers Graham and John. He grew up supporting Everton. It was in his secondary school that he met his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Coleen McLoughlin. They met at 12 and started dating at 16 and now live their lives happily married with each other. Coleen Rooney works as an English television presenter, columnist and celebrity product endorser and is regularly mentioned in British tabloid media.

Their joys grew even more when, Coleen gave birth to their first child, a boy, whom they called Kai Wayne Rooney in November 2009. Rooney is a doting father and loves his son very much. His heart and love grew even more at the birth of his 2nd child in May 2013, whom they named Klay Anthony Rooney. Rooney shares a very close relationship with his family and always seen spending time with his sons.

Style of Play:

When you think of Wayne Rooney on the field, there is usually one word that comes to your head- complete. Here is one player that is not restricted to only a certain section of the field, a player versatile enough to play in a variety of positions. Such is his game, a complete player who is known for his box-to-box abilities.

He plies his trade on the field in a pair of size 10 Nike Hypervenom Phantom. Whether it is scoring goals, stunning dribbles, providing long balls, tracking back to stop counter attacks of opponents or clearing balls from dangerous areas, Rooney can cockily tell us ‘Been there, done that!’.

Rooney’s balance strength and speed are gifts, although many overlook his speed because they feel that he is fat and not lean enough. A fatal misconception to make, one that may easily cost you a goal. While fully fit, Rooney runs for long stretches of time, falling back for defense and tackling players. He is also an excellent central attacking midfielder or a playmaker and a brilliant dribbler. His feats range from completing counter attacks to doing goal line clearances.

He is an engine that never tires and comes into the game with his 100%, never stopping till the last whistle. His composure and versatility are some qualities each forward should have on the football field. And if all this is not enough to convince people, watch him doing what he’s actually supposed to do as a striker i.e. score goals.

He has scored over 200 goals for United and looks to not stop anytime soon. Perhaps the best he ever scored, a moment forever etched on my mind, was the majestic back-volley he scored against arch-rivals, Manchester City. He has cemented his place in the football world and Rooney is undoubtedly one of the best forwards you can find in today’s game.

Social Profile:

Wayne Rooney is a busy man with a lot on his plate. He has football on one side, his personal life and family on the other. Yet he still finds time to reach to his fans, which is probably half the world through his various social media profiles. If you’d like to follow him too then, you can follow him on Twitter- https://twitter.com/WayneRooney, on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WayneRooney, and on Instagram – http://instagram.com/waynerooney.