Former England striker Wayne Rooney has disclosed the harrowing level of abuse he received early in his career. He faced severe threats after leaving his boyhood club, Everton, to join Manchester United two decades ago.
The high-profile transfer occurred in 2004 when Rooney was just 18. It involved a £27 million fee.
The move happened after the teenager rejected a club-record contract offer from the Toffees. This decision sparked intense fury among sections of the Merseyside fanbase.
A Campaign of Intimidation
Rooney revealed that the backlash went far beyond standard football rivalry. He stated that he received death threats. Furthermore, his family became targets of vandalism.
“My parents’ house was getting spray-painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, had her house getting spray-painted,” Rooney recalled.
He admitted that the deep-seated rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester complicated the transfer. However, he emphasized that he had to adopt a “selfish” mindset to achieve his career goals.
“I was always of a mindset of ‘I don’t care’. I knew what I wanted, and I knew how to get there,” he said. “This was people from my city, so it was tough… but I had to stay tough in my mind.”
The New Pressure: Social Media
Reflecting on the modern game, Rooney drew comparisons. He compared his own volatile rise to stardom with the environment currently facing his oldest son, Kai.
Kai, 16, is currently in the Manchester United academy system. He has already secured a sponsorship deal with Puma.
Rooney noted a key difference. Local newspapers drove his own early fame. In contrast, today’s young talents face the global, instant judgment of social media.
“Now I have it with my boy… there are hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them when they’re that young, and I didn’t have that really,”Rooney observed.
The Importance of Support
The United legend stressed that a strong support network is vital. He argued that young players need family and club staff to keep them grounded as they navigate online scrutiny.
“We can all get carried away with social media as well. So it’s really important that the people who are close to you have your best interests. It’s the main thing,” he concluded.
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