'Death threats and spray-painted houses' - Wayne Rooney opens up on record Man Utd move and reveals how he's helping wonderkid son Kai with career

Rooney quickly justified the chunky price tag, making an explosive debut with a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. At Old Trafford, under Sir Alex Ferguson,he matured into a world superstar, becoming known for his incredible work rate, stunning goals - like his famous overhead kick against Manchester City - and leadership. 

Over 13 successful seasons, Rooney won 16 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League. He became the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 253 goals in 559 appearances, cementing his status as a United legend, alongside the likes of Bobby Charlton, George Best, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

But in the immediate period after his move from Goodison Park, 49 miles up the M62 to Old Trafford, his family faced a campaign of hostility. 

Rooney said on the The Wayne Rooney Show: "I got death threats. My parents' house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted. I think that's where you have to be mentally strong. The people around you have to help. Leaving was difficult because I went to Manchester United, and Liverpool and Manchester was a big rivalry so that made it a lot more difficult. But I was always of a mindset of 'I don't care'. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get there. I had to stay tough in my mind. This was people from my city so it was tough but I thought 'I don't care', you have to be selfish and make these decisions." 

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Rooney has been retired for just shy of six years, and in that time he has seen his eldest son progress through the youth ranks at Manchester United, and is conscious of the changing pressures that face Kai, compared to his playing days. 

Rooney said: "Now the difference is social media. When I was young, I was in the local newspapers and so everyone in Liverpool really knew me. Now I have it with my boy who's 16 and he's on social media. He plays for my United, he's sponsored by Puma and there's hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them when they're that young, and I didn't have that really. Being a young player and going into the first team especially, you're getting judged. Rightly or wrongly, you get judged and that's where you need the people around you, people at the club or your family to keep you in a good place. 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 interest. It's the main thing." 

Rooney's career at the BBC has faced certain challenges primarily due to a difficult transition to live television punditry on Match of the Day. While he has been praised for his knowledgeable and candid approach on his pre-recorded podcast, his on-camera performances have been hindered by significant nerves and hesitation. This has led to criticism, which has described his live analysis as "dreadful" or "painful" and noted his struggle to form coherent sentences under the pressure of the studio environment. The BBC is reportedly providing additional media training to help him adapt, which underscores the initial difficulties in his role despite a lucrative two-year contract.