Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Manchester UnitedManchester United
Wayne Rooney
Nickname:Wazza
Date of Birth:24 Oct 1985 (Age 26)
Place of Birth:Liverpool
Nationality:England
Height:178 cm.
Weight:83 Kg.
Position:Striker
Squad Number:10
National Team Page: England
More On :  England, Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney,Manchester United(Getty Images)
Manchester United's powerful and skilled talisman Wayne Rooney has excelled this season, following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring freely and terrorising Premier League defences.

The stage is now set for the agile and tenacious star to be one the leading players at the 2010 World Cup.

Rooney grew up in a three bedroom council house in Liverpool's Croxteth district. The son of working class family, Rooney, spent all his spare time playing football. He supported Everton and idolised the Toffees' burly Scottish striker Duncan Ferguson.

At the age of nine he was spotted by an Everton scout and soon joined the club's academy. He quickly rose up the ranks and by the age of 15, Rooney was playing for Everton's under-19 side.

In October 2002, Rooney announced himself to the world by becoming the Premier League's youngest goal-scorer at the time after scoring a match-winning screamer against Arsenal when he just a few days short of his 17th birthday.

Less than a year later, the precocious star would break more records becoming England's youngest debutant and goal scorer respectively. It was only a matter of time before Rooney's talent would demand a bigger stage, and in August 2004 a £26.5 million transfer took the scouser to Manchester United.

The Red Devils swooped for Rooney after he announced himself to the wider world with a couple of stunning performances for England at Euro 2004, against Switzerland and Croatia.

Over the last half a decade at Manchester United, and under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Wayne Rooney has become one of the world's most famous football stars. As a player, he has evolved from a classic 'number 10' who drifted deep to get involved in the play. perhaps too often, to a more well-rounded, clinical centre-forward, who has netted more goals this season than in any of his previous ones at United.

For England, Rooney has enjoyed a similar mini-resurgence under Fabio Capello. In England's World Cup qualifying campaign, he scored nine goals in ten games

This year has also seen the once temperamental and raw star come of age and become a mature man - comfortable with his superstar status and enjoying life on and off the pitch. After marrying childhood sweetheart Coleen McLoughlin in 2008, Rooney became a doting dad in November when she gave birth to their son, Kai.

At the 2006 World Cup, Rooney was unfit after suffering an injury towards the end of the season. Consequently, he was unable to make the impact on the tournament he is capable of and was sent off after stamping on Ricardo Carvalho as England lost on penalties to Portugal.

If all goes to plan, the 2010 World Cup will see a new, improved Wayne Rooney cement his status as one of England's finest ever players.

Did You Know?

Wayne Rooney is an avid reader of the Harry Potter novels. His favourite of the series being JK Rowling's first, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone


Awards and honours:

Premier League: (Manchester United 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

League Cup (Manchester United 2005–06, 2009–10)

UEFA Champions League (2007–08)

Community Shield 2007

FIFA Club World Cup: (2008)

Individual

BBC Sports Young Personality of the Year: 2002

UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament

PFA Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
England Player of the Year: 2008, 2009

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