Wayne Rooney has opened up on the vicious backlash he suffered after leaving Everton for Manchester United, including death threats and attacks on his family home. The former England captain made the stunning revelation on his BBC podcast, detailing the price he paid for his £27m record transfer in 2004.
The then 18 years old’s switch from Goodison Park to Old Trafford sparked fury among sections of the Everton support. Rooney says it wasn’t just verbal abuse, but serious intimidation. “I got death threats,” Rooney stated. “My parents’ house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted.” He admits the fierce Liverpool Manchester rivalry poured petrol on the flames, making his exit “a lot more difficult.”
Despite the turmoil, Rooney insists he was single minded. “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 thought ‘I don’t care’, you have to be selfish and make these decisions.” That ruthless streak defined his career, as he went on to become United and England’s all time record scorer.
Reflecting on the pressures facing modern stars, Rooney pointed to the explosion of social media as a game changer. His 16 year old son, Kai, is on United’s books and already navigating that world. “Now the difference is social media,” Rooney noted. “He plays for Man United, he’s sponsored by Puma and there’s hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them… I didn’t have that really.” He stressed the vital need for a strong support network to shield young players from the relentless online glare.
In a lighter, bizarre twist, Rooney also shared a remarkable childhood story about writing to Duncan Ferguson while the Everton striker was serving a jail sentence for assault. “I was a young boy who supported Everton so I used to write to him in jail, and then he’d write back,” Rooney revealed. The letters, sent when Rooney was just ten, simply expressed his admiration. Ferguson later became a team mate and even gave the teenaged Rooney lifts home from training, to the delight of his star-struck family.
Rooney’s candid comments paint a vivid picture of a footballing journey that was never straightforward. From a hostile departure to dealing with a new era of digital pressure, his insights show the stark reality behind the glitz of the beautiful game. His legacy, however, remains untouchable, a Scouser who became a legend 35 miles down the road.
