English footballer and Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals, earning 120 England caps and scoring 53 international goals.
Wayne Mark Rooney was born on 24 October 1985 in Croxteth, Liverpool, to Thomas and Jeanette Rooney, and grew up in a council house with his two younger brothers, Graeme and John. Raised a devoted Everton supporter who idolised the club's Duncan Ferguson, Rooney joined the Everton academy at the age of nine and progressed rapidly through the club's youth ranks, playing for £80 a week as a schoolboy while living on one of the country's most deprived estates. Rooney made his professional debut for Everton in 2002 at just 16, becoming the Premier League's youngest goalscorer at the time when he ended Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run with a stunning last-minute winner at Goodison Park — a moment that prompted Arsène Wenger to call him the biggest English talent he had seen since arriving in the country. The performance made Rooney a national sensation overnight, still a teenager living with his parents. Manchester United signed Rooney in the summer of 2004 for a then-world-record fee for a teenager, and he went on to become the club's greatest goalscorer, netting 253 goals across all competitions and winning 16 major trophies, including five Premier League titles, the Champions League in 2008, and the FIFA Club World Cup. In September 2015, he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing record to become England's all-time leading scorer, a record he still holds, and in January 2017 he broke Charlton's Manchester United scoring record as well. Rooney returned to Everton for the 2017–18 season before playing in Major League Soccer with D.C. United and finishing his playing career at Derby County. He has since moved into management, taking charge of Derby County, D.C. United, Birmingham City, and Plymouth Argyle. Combining explosive early talent, sustained excellence over more than a decade at the highest level, and a rare completeness as a forward capable of scoring, creating, and pressing, Rooney is remembered as one of the finest players England has ever produced.
Manchester United's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals
His overhead kick against Man City in the 2011 derby is voted the greatest Premier League goal.
Did You Know?How They Played
Versatile striker with powerful shooting, physicality and work rate
Lasting Impact
One of England's greatest strikers and a Manchester United legend
Career Honours
- Premier League 5x
- Champions League 2008
- FA Cup 1x
- League Cup 3x
- Europa League 2017
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Everton | 2002–2004 | Free | 67 | 15 | #18 |
| Manchester United | 2004–2017 | £25.6m | 393 | 183 | #10 |
| Everton | 2017–2018 | Free | 31 | 10 | #18 |
| D.C. United | 2018–2019 | Free | 48 | 23 | #9 |
| Derby County | 2020–2021 | Free | 30 | 6 | #32 |
 England | — | — | 120 | 53 | — |