Ewood Park
Full name	Ewood Park
Location	Blackburn, Lancashire
Coordinates	53°43′43″N 2°29′21″W / 53.72861°N 2.48917°W / 53.72861; -2.48917Coordinates: 53°43′43″N 2°29′21″W / 53.72861°N 2.48917°W / 53.72861; -2.48917
Built	1882
Opened	1882
Capacity	31,154[1]
Field dimensions	115 × 76 yards (105 × 69.5 metres)
Tenants
Blackburn Rovers F.C. (1881, 1890–present)

Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The stadium opened in 1882 and is an all seater multi-sports facility with a capacity of 31,154.^[1] It comprises four sections: Darwen End, Riverside Stand (named as such because it stands practically on the banks of the River Darwen), Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End, and Jack Walker Stand, which is named after Blackburn industrialist and club supporter, Jack Walker. The football pitch within the stadium measures 115 yards (105 m) x 76 yards (69 m).

Ewood Park is the second oldest home to a Premier or Football League club.^{[citation needed]} Stamford Bridge was constructed earlier (1876), although its current tenants did not start playing there until 1905.

History[link]

Ewood Park Main Stand in 1985

Football had been played on the site since at least 1881; Rovers played four matches there when it was known as Ewood Bridge and was most likely little more than a field. Their first match was against Sheffield Wednesday on 9 April 1881.^[2]

Ewood Park was officially opened in April 1882 and during the 1880s staged football, athletics and greyhound racing. Rovers moved back in in 1890, signing a ten year lease at an initial annual rent of £60.^[3] Their first match at the ground was against Accrington in September. The ground became a great success and was given the honour of hosting an international – England v Scotland in 1891. In 1893, Blackburn Rovers bought the freehold of the ground for £2500,^[3] but came close to disaster soon after when part of a stand collapsed under the weight of a 20,000 strong crowd for the visit of Everton.^{[citation needed]}

In 1903, a roof was built on the Darwen End of the ground, at a cost of £1680. The stand now held 12,000 spectators.^[4] A year later, in 1904, the Nuttall Street Stand was built,^[4] based on designs by the architect, Archibald Leitch. The stand was first used by supporters on New Year's Day 1907 for a match against Preston North End. A double tiered Riverside Stand was built in 1913, bringing the capacity of Ewood Park up to 70,886 with 7000 seats.

In 1928, a concrete wall was erected around the ground. Furthermore, the Blackburn End was terraced and the Riverside Stand re-roofed at a total cost of £1550. Ewood Park saw its largest crowd – 62,522 for the visit of Bolton Wanderers in 1929.^[5] Floodlights were installed in 1958 and were first used in a friendly against Werder Bremen. Two years later a concrete roof was erected over the Blackburn End terrace.

The Jack Walker Stand, named after Jack Walker

Prior to the most recent rebuild the Nuttall Street Stand was renewed back in 1984 after a fire in the summer months, this was two banks of executive boxes. After concerns about wooden grandstands after the fire at Bradford City, the Riverside Stand was demolished in 1987. Chairman Bill Fox, later persuaded his friend, and fellow Rovers supporter, Jack Walker to provide the steel for a new single tiered all seater stand, opened in 1988.

After selling Walkersteel to British Steel for £330 million, Jack Walker decided to buy Blackburn Rovers and set about changing Ewood Park to one of the most advanced grounds in the country.^[6] In June 1992 the local council approved plans to develop Ewood Park into a 31,000 all-seater stadium.

By February 1994, the new two-tiered Blackburn and Darwen End stands were open. The development of the new Darwen End Stand had involved the demolition of Fernhurst Mill in order to make way for the new stand and a car park.

The ground's transformation was complete when in August 1994, the Jack Walker Stand was opened on the site of the old Nuttall Street Stand. Houses along Nuttall Street had been demolished in late 1992 to make way for the new larger stand. The new stadium was officially opened in November 1995 and Blackburn Rovers marked the occasion with a 7-0 win over Nottingham Forest. There are long-term plans to redevelop the 1988-built Riverside Stand which would raise Ewood Park's capacity by around 9,000 to 40,000.^[7] However, any further development in the foreseeable future depends on an increase of attendance, unlikely with relegation to the Championship (level 2).

Records[link]

Record Attendance:

• 61,783 v Bolton Wanderers, 2 March 1929 – FA Cup 6th Round^[8]

Record League Attendance:

• 52,656 v Preston North End, 26 December 1921 – Football League Division One^[8]

Stands[link]

The Jack Walker Stand[link]

The Jack Walker Stand view from the Darwen End

Formally the Nuttall Street stand. In 1905, the textile baron Laurence Cotton became chairman and set about overhauling both team and ground. In 1906, construction started on a new main stand seating 4,112 on its upper tier with a paddock for 9,320 in front with changing rooms and offices underneath, cranked at one end to follow the angle of Nuttall Street.^[9] It was a standard design from the pattern book of Archibald Leitch who also constructed stands at Ibrox Stadium, Roker Park and Goodison Park. The Nuttall Street Stand was built at a cost of £24,000 and opened on New Years Day 1907 for a match against Preston North End. The Nuttall Street stand changed very little until a fire in 1984 in the Blackburn End corner of the Stand. The club took the opportunity to redevelop this section of the stand with executive boxes and glass-fronted lounge overlooking the ground. The development cost £250,000 and was named the John Lewis Complex, after the clubs founder.^[10]

The modern Jack Walker Stand now carries the name of Jack Walker, former club owner. It has 11,000 seats and is one of three stands that were built during Ewood Park's ground redevelopment in the 1990s. This stand contains the home and away dressing rooms and media/conferencing facilities. Furthermore the stand is home to the Premier Suite and Jack's Kitchen which form part of the club's hospitality packages.

The Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End[link]

The Blackburn End was terraced in 1928, but did not acquire its concrete cantilever roof until 1960, which was financed after an FA Cup run to the 1960 FA Cup Final.^{[citation needed]} The Blackburn End then changed very little until Ewood Park was redeveloped 1993–1995. The Blackburn End is so named as the town of Blackburn lies behind the stand and is for home supporters.^[11] From 2006 until 2010 the stand was sponsored by Walkersteel.

The modern Blackburn End Stand has 8,000 seats and was constructed in the early 1990s. The boardroom in the Nuttall Street Stand was dismantled piece by piece and, when rebuilding was finished, reassembled in the Blackburn End. The higher tier of the stand houses the family enclosure which is designated to provide a safe and comfortable environment for under 16s and their families. The lower tier houses some of the most passionate Rovers supporters.^{[citation needed]} The rear of the stand is also home to a memorial garden and a statue of Jack Walker entitled "Rovers' Greatest Supporter". Outside the stand is the Blackburn Rovers club shop "Roverstore" which was revamped in 2008. The home supporters ticket office and "Blues" cafe bar is situated in the lower reaches of the stand. From here ground tours were led by former Rovers player, Ronnie Clayton until his death in October 2010. The stand is home to the "Strikers Lounge" where members of the club's junior membership scheme "Team Rovers" congregate before and after matches. The Bob Crompton suite and Executive Boxes are also located in the stand.

On 13 August 2011, as a sign of respect to the late great and long-serving Rover Ronnie Clayton, it was announced at half-time during the first game of the 2011/12 Barclays Premier League season that The Blackburn End was to be renamed The Ronnie Clayton End.

The Riverside Stand[link]

The Riverside Stand

Two league championships in 1912 and 1914, along with three good cup runs, helped to finance a third stand on the River Darwen side of Ewood Park.^{[citation needed]} Constructed to another of Archibald Leitch's standard designs it was completed in 1913 with 2,944 seats and a large new terrace in front. In 1928 the Riverside Stand roof was re-roofed for a total outlay of £1,550.

It was not until 1988 that the Riverside Stand was replaced by a new stand as the old stand had failed a safety check in 1985 that came in the aftermath of the Bradford City stadium fire;^[12] a new, single-tier stand housing over 4,300 (700 seated approx.). The material for the new roof and terracing was provided by local steel firm, Walkersteel, owned by the man who was soon to buy the club, Jack Walker. Further development of the Riverside Stand took place in the 1990s with further seats being added. Through sponsorship deals the stand has been named after Walkersteel, CIS and Fraser Eagle.

The Riverside Stand is now the oldest part of the modern Ewood Park. It is the only single tiered stand in the ground, the seating spells out the word "ROVERS" – the club's nickname. The stand holds approximately 4000 spectators. At the corner of the stand is a giant TV screen showing features, teamsheets and other live games on a match day. There are long-term plans to redevelop the stand, which would raise Ewood Park's capacity by around 9,000 to 40,000.^[13] Any development in the foreseeable future depends on an increase of attendance.

The WEC Group Darwen End Stand[link]

The first major developments of the facilities at Ewood Park took place in the early 1900s when a cover for 12,000 spectators was erected at the Darwen End of the ground in 1903 at a cost of £1,680.^[11] During the summer of 1908 the Darwen End was concreted.^[9] The Darwen End is traditionally houses away supporters in the upper tier; in the late 1980s the Darwen End was opened for home supporters whilst the Riverside Stand was being rebuilt and recently season tickets have been made available to purchase in this stand. In the last 3 games of the 2008–09 season, the bottom part of the stand was used for home fans to give more home support to the team to pull clear of the relegation zone. The Darwen End is so named after the town of Darwen which lies behind the stand about 1 mile up the road. No more major changes took place to the Darwen End until the ground was rebuilt between 1993–1995.

The modern Darwen End holds 8,000 seats, and houses both home and away supporters in a two tier stand mirroring the Blackburn End. It was part of the early 1990s stadium redevelopment, its construction seeing the demolition of the Fernhurst Mill, the site of which is now occupied by a car park. The stand houses the club's education department which attracts youngsters from the surrounding areas for football-based activities in the classroom. The stand is home to the "Legend's Lounge" and International hospitality suites. Blackburn Rovers' club radio station- "Radio Rovers" is housed in the stand, where they broadcast live commentary from on match days. Behind the stand is the Blackburn Rovers Indoor Centre which provides facilities for community coaching, football leagues and soccer schools. Since 2008 the stand has been sponsored by the WEC Group.

Other uses[link]

Though primarily the home ground for Blackburn Rovers, Ewood Park has seen other usage. The stadium hosted three matches during the Women's Euro 2005 competition — two England matches in group play, and the final. Ewood Park has also hosted numerous England U21 internationals including England v Wales in 2004. In November 2002, Ewood Park was the location for a Rugby league Test Match International between Great Britain and New Zealand.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ewood Park

• Ewood Park on Pastscape (English Heritage)

Wayne Rooney

Personal information
Full name	Wayne Mark Rooney[1]
Date of birth	(1985-10-24) 24 October 1985 (age 26)
Place of birth	Croxteth, Liverpool, England
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Manchester United
Number	10
Youth career
1996–2002	Everton
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2004	Everton	67	(15)
2004–	Manchester United	251	(129)
National team‡
2000–2001	England U15	4	(2)
2001–2002	England U17	12	(7)
2002	England U19	1	(0)
2003–	England	73	(28)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:09 (UTC), 13 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 8 October 2011 [3]

Wayne Mark Rooney (born 24 October 1985) is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team.

Rooney made his senior international debut in 2003 becoming the youngest player to represent England (a record later broken by Theo Walcott). He is England's youngest ever goalscorer.^[4] He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the competition's youngest goalscorer. Rooney featured at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups and is widely regarded as his country's best player.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]} He has won the England Player of the Year award twice, in 2008 and 2009. As of September 2011, he has won 73 international caps and scored 28 goals.^[3] Along with David Beckham, Rooney is the most red carded player for England, having been sent off twice.^[11]

Aged nine, Rooney joined the youth team of Everton, for whom he made his professional debut in 2002. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window. The same year, Rooney acquired the nickname "Wazza".^[12] Since then, with Rooney in the team, United have won the Premier League four times, the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and two League Cups. He also holds two runner-up medals from both the Premier League and the Champions League. In April of the 2011–12 season Rooney scored his 180th goal, making him United's fourth highest goal-scorer of all time.^[13]

In 2009–10, Rooney was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year. He came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Baloon d'Or and was named in the FIFPro World 11 for 2011. Rooney has won the 'Goal of the Season' award by the BBC's Match of the Day poll on three occasions, with his bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City winning the 'Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons' award.^[14] Rooney is the third highest-paid footballer in the world after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, with an annual income of €20.7m (£18m) including sponsorship deals.^[15]

Early life[link]

Rooney was born in Croxteth, Liverpool to Thomas Wayne and Jeanette Marie (née Morrey) Rooney.^[16] He is of Irish descent^[17][18] and was brought up as a Roman Catholic^[19][20] with younger brothers Graham and John;^[21][22][23] all three attended Our Lady and St Swithin's primary school and the De La Salle Humanities College.^[24] He grew up supporting his local club Everton.^[25]

Club career[link]

Everton[link]

Youth squads[link]

Rooney began playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and until May 2010 he held the record of 72 goals scored in one season.^[26] At age nine, Rooney played for Copplehouse boys' club in the local Walton and Kirkdale junior league and scored 99 goals in his final season before being spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton.^[27] Rooney joined Everton at age nine,^[28] and was the Everton mascot for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool as an 11-year-old.^[29] In the 1995–96 season he scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton's under-10s and 11s,^[30] and by 15 years old he was playing for the under-19s.^[31] He scored eight goals in eight games during Everton's run to the FA Youth Cup final in 2002.^[32] This included one goal in the final defeat against Aston Villa and upon scoring he revealed a T-shirt that read, "Once a Blue, always a Blue."^[28] Rooney was included in the first team squad for their training camp in Austria in the summer of 2002 and scored his first senior goal in a 3-1 friendly victory over SC Weiz on 15 July.^[31]

First team breakthrough[link]

Rooney was an unused substitute in Everton's 1–0 away win over Southampton in April 2002.^[34] His senior debut came the following season on 17 August in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham,^[35] at this time he became the second youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle.^[36] His first senior goals came on 2 October as he scored twice in a 3–0 away win over Wrexham in the League Cup.^[37] These goals meant that Rooney was Everton's youngest-ever goalscorer at the time.^[38] On 19 October, five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored a last-minute winning goal against Arsenal.^[39] This goal ended Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run,^[40] and also made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, a record that has since been surpassed twice by both James Milner and James Vaughan.^[41] He scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win over Leeds United fifteen days later.^[42]

In December, Rooney was named 2002's BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.^[43] Six days on from claiming this award he scored the winning goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–1 home win.^[44] His first career red-card came on boxing day in a 1-1 away draw against Birmingham City for a late challenge on Steve Vickers.^[45] In January 2003, Rooney signed his first professional contract which made him one of world football's highest-paid teenagers.^[46] Rooney's first goal in 2003 came on 23 March, netting Everton's only goal in a 2–1 loss at Arsenal.^[47] In April, he scored a goal in Everton's 2–1 home win over Newcastle United,^[48] before hitting a last-minute winner against Aston Villa in another 2–1 home win.^[49] He ended his debut season with 8 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees.^[50]

Rooney scored his first goal of the 2003-04 season in a 2–2 away draw against Charlton on 26 August 2003.^[51] He did not find the net again until December when he scored in a 2–1 away win over Portsmouth,^[52] and a 3–2 home win over Leicester City.^[53] His final goal of 2003 came on his 50th league appearance, netting the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Birmingham on 28 December.^[54] On 21 February 2004, Rooney netted his first Premier League brace in a 3–3 away draw against Southampton.^[55] He scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over Portsmouth on 13 March,^[56] before scoring in a 1–1 away draw against Leicester City one week later.^[57] He scored his final goal of the season in a 1–1 away draw against Leeds United on 13 April.^[58]

Manchester United[link]

2004–05 season[link]

Rooney's agent snubbed a three-year, £12,000-a-week contract offer from Everton in August 2004, leaving Manchester United and Newcastle United to compete for his signature. Everton rejected a bid of £20 million from Newcastle,^[59] and Manchester United ultimately won the bidding war with Rooney signing for them at the end of the month after a £25.6 million deal with Everton was reached.^[60] It was the highest fee ever paid for a player under 20 years old; Rooney was still only 18 when he left Everton.^[61]

Rooney was given the number 8 shirt upon his arrival at Old Trafford.^[62] He made his United debut on 28 September in a 6–2 home win over Fenerbahçe in the Champions League, scoring a hat-trick and laying on an assist.^[63] These goals made Rooney the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League aged 18 years 335 days.^[64] However, his first season with Manchester United ended without winning a trophy as they could only manage a third place finish in the league,^[65] and failed to progress to the last eight of the Champions League.^[66] United had more success in the cup competitions, but were edged out of the League Cup in the semi finals by a Chelsea side^[67] who also won the Premier League title that season,^[68] and a goalless draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup final was followed by a penalty shoot-out defeat.^[69] However, Rooney was United's top league scorer that season with 11 goals, and was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award.^[70]

2005–07[link]

Rooney during United's 3–1 win over Manchester City in the derby, in which he scored the game's first goal

In September 2005, Rooney was sent off in a Champions League clash with Villarreal of Spain (which ended in a goalless draw) for sarcastically clapping the referee who had booked him for an unintentional foul on an opponent.^[71] His first trophy with United came in the 2006 League Cup,^[72] and he was also named man of the match after scoring twice in United's 4–0 win over Wigan Athletic in the final.^[73] In the Premier League, however, an erratic start to the season left title glory looking unlikely for United and their title hopes were ended in late April when they lost 3–0 away to champions Chelsea and had to settle for second place.^[74] Rooney sustained a broken metatarsal in that game after a tackle made by Paulo Ferreira.^[75] Rooney's goalscoring further improved in the 2005–06 season, as he managed 16 goals in 36 Premier League games.^[76]

Rooney was sent off in an Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Porto defender Pepe with an elbow.^[77] He was punished with a three-match ban by the FA, following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen that explained his decision.^[78] Rooney wrote a letter of protest to the FA, citing the lack of punishment handed down to other players who were sent off in friendlies. He also threatened to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image rights if they did not revoke the ban, but the FA had no power to make such a decision.^[79]

During the first half of the 2006–07 season, Rooney ended a ten-game scoreless streak with a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers,^[80] and he signed a two-year contract extension the next month that tied him to United until 2012. By the end of April, a combination of two goals in an 8–3 aggregate quarter-final win over Roma and two more in a 3–2 semi-final first leg victory over Milan.^[81] By the end of that season, he had scored 14 league goals.^[82] Rooney collected his first Premier League title winner's medal at the end of the 2006–07 season.^[83]

2007–09[link]

Rooney in a February 2008 match against Arsenal

In June 2007, Rooney was handed number 10, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy.^[84][85] He fractured his left metatarsal in United's opening-day goalless draw against Reading on 12 August,^[86] the same injury he had suffered to his right foot in 2004.^[87] After being sidelined for six weeks, he returned for United's 1–0 Champions League group stage win over Roma on 2 October, scoring the match's only goal.^[88] However, barely a month into his return, Rooney injured his ankle during a training session on 9 November, and missed an additional two weeks.^[89] His first match back was against Fulham on 3 December, in which he played 70 minutes.^[90] Rooney missed a total of ten games and finished the 2007–08 season with 18 goals (12 of them in the league),^[76] as United clinched both the Premier League^[91] and the Champions League, in which they defeated league rivals Chelsea^[92] in the competition's first-ever all-English final.^[93]

On 4 October 2008 in an away win over Blackburn Rovers, Rooney became the youngest player in league history to make 200 appearances.^[94] On 14 January after scoring the only goal of the game 54 seconds into the 1–0 win over Wigan Athletic, Rooney limped off with a hamstring ailment in the eighth minute. His replacement, Carlos Tévez, was injured himself shortly after entering the game, but stayed on.^[95] Rooney was out for three weeks, missing one match apiece in the League Cup and FA Cup, along with four Premier League matches.^[96] On 25 April 2009, Rooney scored his final league goals of the season against Tottenham. United scored five goals in the second half ato come from 2–0 down to win 5–2. Rooney grabbed two goals, set up two and provided the assist that led to the penalty for United's first goal.^[97] Rooney ended the season with 20 goals in all competitions. Once again, he managed 12 goals in the league.^[76]

2009–10 season[link]

Rooney's start to the new campaign got off to great scoring ways, grabbing a goal in the 90th minute of the 2009 Community Shield, though United lost the game to Chelsea on penalties.^[98] He then scored the only goal of the opening game of the 2009–10 season against Birmingham City, taking his overall United tally to 99.^[99] He failed to score in the next game, a historic 1–0 defeat to the hands of newly promoted Burnley at Turf Moor. On 22 August, he became the 20th Manchester United player to have scored at least 100 goals for the club, when he found the net twice in a 5–0 away win at Wigan Athletic.^[100]

Rooney in a November 2009 match against Everton

On 29 August, United played Arsenal at Old Trafford. Rooney scored the equaliser from the penalty spot after Andrei Arshavin had put the Gunners ahead. The game finished 2–1 to Manchester United after Abou Diaby scored an own goal.^[101] Five days later Rooney commented on his penalty against Arsenal: "Everyone who watches me play knows I am an honest player, I play the game as honestly as I can. If the referee gives a penalty there is nothing you can do."^[102] On 28 November 2009, Rooney scored his first hat-trick for three years in a 4–1 away victory against Portsmouth, with two of them being penalties.^[103] On 27 December 2009, he was awarded Man of the Match against Hull City. He was involved in all the goals scored in the game, hitting the opener and then giving away the ball for Hull's equalizing penalty. He then forced Andy Dawson into conceding an own goal and then set up Dimitar Berbatov for United's third goal which gave them a 3–1 victory.^[104] On 30 December 2009, three days on from their victory over Hull, he grabbed another goal in United's 5–0 thrashing of Wigan in their final game of the decade.^[105] On 23 January 2010, Rooney scored all four goals in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Hull City; three of the goals came in the last 10 minutes of the match. This was the first time in his career that he bagged four in one match.^[106] On 27 January 2010, he continued his scoring run by heading the winner in the second minute of stoppage time against derby rivals Manchester City. This gave United a 4–3 aggregate win, taking them into the final, it was his first League Cup goal since netting two in the 2006 final.^[107] On 31 January 2010, Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Arsenal for the first time in the league at the Emirates, notably his first Premier League goal also came against Arsenal.^[108] On 16 February 2010, Rooney hit his first European goals of the season, scoring two headers in the 3–2 away win against Milan in Manchester United's first ever win against them at the San Siro.^[109] On 28 February 2010, he scored another header against Aston Villa (his fifth consecutive headed goal in a row) which resulted in Manchester United winning the League Cup final 2–1.^[110] In the second leg of United's European tie against Milan, Rooney scored a brace in a resounding 4–0 home victory, taking his tally of goals this season to 30.^[111] He then added two more to his tally five days later at Old Trafford, in a 3–0 league win over Fulham.^[112]

On 30 March 2010, during United's Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat against Bayern Munich at Munich's Allianz Arena, Rooney crumpled when he twisted his ankle in the last minute, hobbling off while Bayern were producing the build up that led to their second goal.^[113] There were fears that he had received serious ligament damage or even a broken ankle, but it was announced that the injury was only slight ligament damage, and that he would be out for 2 to 3 weeks,^[114] missing United's crunch match with Chelsea and the return leg against Munich the following week.^[114] The team list for second leg yielded a massive surprise when Rooney was given a starting place in the United lineup.^[115] Despite a 3–0 lead by the 41st minute, Munich snatched a goal back and United were later forced down to 10 men after Rafael da Silva was sent-off. Munich won the match after netting a second away-goal^[115] and Rooney was substituted after re-damaging his ankle. On 25 April, Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year.^[116]

2010–11 season[link]

On 28 August 2010, Rooney scored his first goal of the season as he netted a penalty in a 3–0 home win over West Ham United.^[117] In October, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated at a press conference that Rooney wanted to quit the club.^[118] This came after a period of dispute as to the extent of Rooney's ankle injury, where Rooney had refuted Ferguson's claim that the injury was the reason Rooney had been dropped to the bench.^[119] Rooney and his representatives released a statement regarding his decision to leave the club, insisting it is not down to money but ambition.^[120] Following this statement, Rooney made a dramatic U-turn and agreed a new five-year contract at Manchester United until June 2015.^[121]

Rooney made his return to the first team as a substitute against Wigan on 20 November.^[122] Four days later he returned to the starting line-up and scored a penalty in a 1–0 away win over Rangers in the Champions League.^[123] He missed a penalty in a 1–0 home win over Arsenal on 13 December.^[124] His first goal of the season from open play came on 1 January 2011 in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albion.^[125] On 1 February, Rooney scored twice and assisted Nemanja Vidić's goal in a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa.^[126] On 12 February, Rooney scored an overhead volley in the 78th minute of the Manchester derby, which proved to be the winning goal in their 2–1 win over Manchester City.^[127] After the match, Rooney said it was the best goal of his career,^[128] before Sir Alex Ferguson described the strike as the best goal he has ever witnessed at Old Trafford.^[129] Two weeks later he scored the third goal in a 4–0 away win over Wigan,^[130] before opening the scoring in a 2–1 away loss to Chelsea on 1 March.^[131] Rooney scored the second goal in a 2–0 home win over Arsenal in an FA Cup tie on 12 March.^[132]

On 2 April, United came from two goals down as Rooney scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 away win over West Ham United.^[133] This was his fifth hat-trick for Manchester United, whilst the second goal was his 100th in the Premier League for the club.^[134] He is the third Manchester United player to score 100 Premier League goals, joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.^[135] During Rooney's celebrations following his third goal, he swore into a pitchside camera and was subsequently charged by the Football Association for using offensive language.^[136] Rooney accepted the charge, but not the automatic two-match ban which was handed to him.^[137] He appealed against the length of the suspension, calling it "excessive", but failed to overturn the two-match ban which ruled him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on 16 April.^[138] The following game on 6 April saw Rooney scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.^[139] He followed this goal up with another strike in the semi-final first leg against German side Schalke on 26 April, scoring the second of a 2–0 away win.^[140] This was the first time Rooney had returned to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen since his sending off during the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Portugal.^[141]

On 14 May 2011, Rooney successfully converted a penalty for United to equalise and give them a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the penultimate game of the Premier League season - enough to secure a record 19th top division title for United, and giving Rooney his fourth Premier League title winner's medal.^[142]

2011–12 season[link]

Rooney started the season with a goal in the first league game at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. Rooney played a cute one-two with Ashley Young before a sharp turn and finish from outside the box which found the bottom corner of the goal. He also scored in the second game of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when he headed in a Ryan Giggs cross late in the game.^[143] In late August, Rooney scored his 150th goal for United, the first of a hat-trick, helping to demolish Arsenal 8–2.^[13] Rooney won man of the match, scoring two free kicks, a penalty, and also contributing an assist for Nani. He followed this up with another hat-trick in the next game; a 5–0 away win over Bolton Wanderers on 10 September, becoming only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in consecutive games.^[144] These goals brought him level with Sir Bobby Charlton on seven United hat-tricks, joint fourth on the all-time list behind Denis Law, Jack Rowley and Dennis Viollet.^[145] Rooney scored in United's next game, a 3-1 home win over Chelsea but did miss a penalty in the second half when he slipped on his run up and skied the ball over. After revelations about his father in the media and the fallout from his red card against Montenegro on international duty, he was left out of the starting line-up against Liverpool on 15 October 2011. He returned to action on 18 October 2011, where he scored two goals in the group stage-match against Oțelul Galați and surpassed his former teammate Paul Scholes as the most-scoring Englishman in UEFA Champions League.^[146]

On 10 December, Rooney ended an 8 game goal drought with a brace against Wolves in a 4-1 win at Old Trafford. For the first goal he cut inside from the left and drilled in a low shot through the crowd of defenders. His second goal was assisted by Antonio Valencia who crossed the ball from the right wing and Rooney met it on the half volley to find the bottom right hand corner of the net. On 18 December, Rooney continued his goal scoring form heading home the opening goal against QPR, making it Manchester United's quickest goal of the season so far after just 52 seconds at Loftus Road. He was assisted by Antonio Valencia's cross. On 21 December, Rooney scored his 130th Premier League goal in his 300th Premier League appearance against Fulham at Craven Cottage with a long range effort that crashed in off the inside of the post in a 5-0 win. On 8 January, Rooney scored two goals in the FA Cup third round 3-2 away win against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. His first goal was assisted by Antonio Valencia who swung the ball towards the far post, where Rooney bulldozed between Nani and Richards powering a header against the underside of the crossbar and into the net. Danny Welbeck was involved in Rooney's second goal. He was needlessly scythed down by Aleksandar Kolarov inside the penalty area, prompting the clear penalty award. City's goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon saved the initial Rooney spot kick, but the United striker calmly nodded the rebound into the unguarded goal. With his two goals, Rooney went past Mark Hughes in United's all-time top goalscorers table heading up to seventh place overall with 164 goals. On 14 January, Rooney made a big contribution to his team in a 3-0 home win against Bolton. Although he had missed a penalty and almost found the net on a few occasions, he did create two goals by assisting Paul Scholes for the first goal and later in the second half Danny Welbeck for the second goal. On 5 February, Rooney scored two goals from the penalty spot as United came back from a 3-0 deficit to draw 3-3 in a Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

On 11 February 2012, Rooney marked his 500th senior career game by scoring two goals as United beat rivals Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. This was also his 350th game for United in all competitions.^[147] On 4 March Rooney scored the first goal in a 3–1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and went past Joe Spence in Manchester United's all-time top goalscorers table heading up to sixth place overall with 169 goals. He scored another brace in his next game, against Atletico Bilbao in the Europa League.^[148] On 11 March Rooney scored the two goals that brought United the victory against West Bromwich Albion in a 2–0 home win. On 15 March, Rooney scored in the 2nd leg of the Europa League tie vs Athletic Bilbao in Bilbao despite United losing 2-1 on the night and 5-3 on aggregate.

Rooney accidentally broke 9-year-old fan Jamie Thomas' wrist with a stray shot before Manchester United's 5-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 18 March 2012. Rooney was not aware of the incident at the time, but has apologised to the schoolboy and promised to send him a personalised gift.^[149]

International career[link]

Rooney playing for England in 2006

Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly against Australia on 12 February 2003 at seventeen,^[150] the same age at which he also became the youngest player to score an England goal.^[151] Arsenal youngster Theo Walcott broke Rooney's appearance record by 36 days in May 2006.^[152]

His first tournament action was at Euro 2004, in which he became the youngest scorer in competition history on 17 June 2004, when he scored twice against Switzerland;^[153] however, this record was topped by Swiss midfielder Johan Vonlanthen four days later.^[154] Rooney suffered an injury in the quarter-final match against Portugal and England were eliminated on penalties.^[155]

Following a foot injury in an April 2006 Premier League match, Rooney faced a race to fitness for the 2006 World Cup.^[156] England attempted to hasten his recovery with the use of an oxygen tent,^[157] which allowed Rooney to enter a group match against Trinidad and Tobago^[158] and start the next match against Sweden.^[159] However, he never got back into game shape and went scoreless as England bowed out in the quarter-finals, again on penalty kicks.^[160]

Rooney training with England in September 2009

Rooney was red-carded in the 62nd minute of the quarter-final for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho as both attempted to gain possession of the ball, an incident that occurred right in front of referee Horacio Elizondo.^[161] Rooney's Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo openly protested his actions, and was in turn shoved by Rooney.^[161] Elizondo sent Rooney off, after which Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portugal bench.^[161] Rooney denied intentionally targeting Carvalho in a statement on 3 July, adding, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but I'm disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not teammates."^[162] Elizondo confirmed the next day that Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho.^[163] Rooney was fined CHF5,000 for the incident.^[164]

Rooney playing in a friendly against Japan in May 2010

During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, after England drew with Algeria, the England players were booed off the pitch by supporters. Rooney made a comment as he left the pitch to television cameras saying, "Nice to see your home fans boo you, that's loyal supporters".^[165] He later apologised for the comment made during a lacklustre tournament for England who were eliminated in the second round.^[166]

UEFA Euro 2012[link]

The Euro 2012 qualifications went well for England as they qualified in first place of their group, winning five and drawing three games out of eight. Rooney scored three goals, one against Switzerland and two against Bulgaria. Nevertheless, the qualifications will be remembered for something else, Rooney's 74th minute tackle on Miodrag Džudović in the last group stage game against Montenegro (2-2) which saw him get sent off.^[167] At first, it was known that Rooney would miss at least one mach in the opening round of the first phase at UEFA Euro 2012. After the game with Montenegro, Rooney sent a personal letter to UEFA in which he apologised and expressed regret for the tackle on Džudović which earned him the red card.^[168][169] Despite the letter, UEFA punished Rooney with a three game ban, meaning that he couldn't play in any of the group stage matches. After UEFA's announcement, Džudović stated that he believed the sentence for Rooney was too severe and that he would defend him if needed. He later asked the UEFA to pardon Rooney, who kicked out at him in the qualification match. The FA then decided they would appeal to UEFA against the ban. On 8 December 2011, after The FA had appealed the ban,^[170] UEFA reduced the sentence to two matches.^[171] This means that Rooney will now miss the matches against France and Sweden. He will be able to play in the final match of the group stage against Ukraine on 19 June 2012 and all other matches that England participate in at the tournament should they progress.

International goals[link]

Updated to games played 2 September 2011.^[172][173]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	6 September 2003	Gradski Stadium, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia	Macedonia	2–1	Win	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
2	10 September 2003	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	Liechtenstein	2–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying
3	16 November 2003	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	Denmark	3–2	Loss	Friendly
4	5 June 2004	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	Iceland	6–1	Win	Friendly
5	5 June 2004	Old Trafford, Manchester, England	Iceland	6–1	Win	Friendly
6	17 June 2004	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Switzerland	3–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2004
7	17 June 2004	Estádio Cidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal	Switzerland	3–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2004
8	21 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Croatia	4–2	Win	UEFA Euro 2004
9	21 June 2004	Estádio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal	Croatia	4–2	Win	UEFA Euro 2004
10	17 August 2005	Parken Stadion, Copenhagen, Denmark	Denmark	4–1	Loss	Friendly
11	12 November 2005	Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland	Argentina	3–2	Win	Friendly
12	15 November 2006	Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands	Netherlands	1–1	Draw	Friendly
13	13 October 2007	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Estonia	3–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
14	17 October 2007	Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia	Russia	2–1	Loss	UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
15	10 September 2008	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb, Croatia	Croatia	4–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
16	12 October 2008	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Kazakhstan	5–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
17	12 October 2008	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Kazakhstan	5–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
18	15 October 2008	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	3–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
19	15 October 2008	Dinamo Stadium, Minsk, Belarus	Belarus	3–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
20	28 March 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Slovakia	4–0	Win	Friendly
21	28 March 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Slovakia	4–0	Win	Friendly
22	6 June 2009	Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan	Kazakhstan	4–0	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
23	10 June 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Andorra	6–0	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
24	10 June 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Andorra	6–0	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
25	9 September 2009	Wembley Stadium, London, England	Croatia	5–1	Win	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
26	7 September 2010	St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland	Switzerland	3–1	Win	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
27	2 September 2011	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	3–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
28	2 September 2011	Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria	Bulgaria	3–0	Win	UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying

Career statistics[link]

Club[link]

Statistics accurate as of match played 13 May 2012^[174][175]

International[link]

Statistics accurate as of match played 7 October 2011^[176]

Honours[link]

Club[link]

Manchester United

• Premier League (4): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
• Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
• FA Community Shield (3): 2007, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Individual[link]

• PFA Players' Player of the Year (1): 2009–10
• PFA Young Player of the Year (2): 2004–05, 2005–06
• PFA Fans' Player of the Year (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
• PFA Premier League Team of the Year (3): 2005–06, 2009–10, 2011–12
• FWA Footballer of the Year (1): 2009–10
• Goal of the Season (3): 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11
• Goal of the Month (6): October 2003, January 2005, April 2005, January 2007, March 2007, February 2011
• Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
• BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year (1): 2002
• Bravo Award (1): 2003
• UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
• FIFPro World Young Player of the Year (1): 2004–05
• Premier League Player of the Month (5): February 2005, December 2005, March 2006, October 2007, January 2010
• Barclays Player of the Year (1): 2009–10
• Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12):
  • Best Goal (vs. Manchester City, 12 February 2011)
• FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (1): 2008
• England Player of the Year (2): 2008, 2009
• Golden Boot Landmark Award 20 (1): 2009–10
• FIFA/FIFPro World XI (1): 2011

Personal life[link]

In addition to Everton, Rooney also supports Celtic.^[177]

In June 2011, he visited the Harley Street Hair Clinic and had a hair transplant.^[178]

It was announced in July 2011, that Wayne Rooney's jersey was the best-selling sports product that is under the auspices of the Premier League. Manchester United sold, during the 2009-10 season, between 1.2 million and one and a half million shirts and it is estimated that of that, Rooney's name was printed on several hundred thousand. The account is taken from official jerseys sales across the globe, not just in England.^[179]

Family[link]

Rooney's wife, Coleen, in October 2006

Rooney met his wife, Coleen Rooney (née McLoughlin), while both were at secondary school.^[180] They married on 12 June 2008 after six years of dating, during which Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitution in Liverpool in 2004. '"I was young and stupid. It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen."^[181] He has a tattoo of the words "Just Enough Education to Perform", the title of an album by his favorite band, the Stereophonics; Coleen arranged for the group to play at their wedding reception.^[182] The wedding ran into some controversy with the Catholic Church. The couple held a religious ceremony at the Abbey of Cervara, a converted monastery near Genoa, despite being warned by the local bishop's office against the plan. The bishop's office told the Rooneys that La Cervara is deconsecrated and not suitable for a wedding.^[183] It suggested a different church, five miles away.^[183] Nevertheless, the couple ignored the advice and Father Edward Quinn, their local priest from Croxteth, presided over a ceremony in which rings were exchanged.^[184]

In April 2006, he was awarded £100,000 in libel damages from tabloids The Sun and News of the World, who had claimed that he had assaulted Coleen in a nightclub. Rooney donated the money to charity.^[185]

The Rooneys reside in a £4.25 million mansion in the village of Prestbury, Cheshire,^[186] which was built by a company owned by Dawn Ward, the wife of former Sheffield United striker Ashley Ward.^[187] He also owns property in Port Charlotte, Florida.^[188] While Rooney was house hunting in Cheshire after signing with Manchester United, he spotted a pub sign that read "Admiral Rodney", which he misread as "Admiral Rooney." He nonetheless considered it a positive omen for his future home.^[189][190] Rooney owns a French mastiff dog, which was reportedly bought for £1,250.^[191]

Rooney's wife Coleen announced on 7 April 2009 that the couple were expecting their first baby.^[192] Coleen gave birth to their son, Kai Wayne Rooney, on 2 November 2009.^[193]

Rooney's younger brother, John Rooney, is also a professional footballer, who has played with Macclesfield Town, and in January 2011 signed a contract to play in Major League Soccer in the United States.^[194] John was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the second round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.^[195]

Commercial interests[link]

Rooney has endorsement deals with Nike^[196] (he is the face of their T90 Laser IV boots^[197]), Nokia,^[198] Ford,^[199][200] Asda,^[201] and Coca-Cola.^[202] He has appeared on six straight UK-version covers of Electronic Arts' FIFA series from FIFA 06 (2005) to FIFA 12 (2011).^{[203][204][205]} In October 2010, Rooney was dropped by Coca-Cola from one of its advertising campaigns in the wake of allegations about his private life.^[206]

On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with HarperCollins,^[207] who granted him a £5 million advance plus royalties for a minimum of five books to be published over a twelve-year period. The first, My Story So Far, an autobiography ghostwritten by Hunter Davies, was published after the 2006 World Cup.^[208] The second publication, The Official Wayne Rooney Annual, was aimed at the teenage market and edited by football journalist Chris Hunt.^[209]

In July 2006, Rooney's lawyers went to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation to gain ownership of the Internet domain names waynerooney.com and waynerooney.co.uk, both of which Welsh actor Huw Marshall registered in 2002.^[210] Three months later, the WIPO awarded Rooney the rights to waynerooney.com.^[211]

Paul Stretford controversy[link]

In July 2002, while Rooney was with Everton, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Rooney and his parents to enter the player into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management. However, Rooney was already with another representation firm at the time, while Stretford's transaction went unreported to the FA, and he was thus charged with improper conduct. Stretford alleged in his October 2004 trial that he had secretly recorded boxing promoter John Hyland (an associate of Rooney's first agent) and two other men threatening and attempting to blackmail him for an undisclosed percentage of Rooney's earnings.^[212]

Stretford's case collapsed due to evidence that conflicted with his insistence that he had not signed Rooney, and on 9 July 2008, he was found guilty of "making of false and/or misleading witness statements to police, and giving false and/or misleading testimony."^[212] In addition, the contract to which Stretford had signed Rooney was two years longer than the limit allowed by the FA. Stretford was fined £300,000 and banned from working as a football agent for eighteen months, a verdict he promptly appealed.^[212]

Stretford left Proactive in 2008 and took Rooney with him. Proactive later sued Rooney, claiming £4.3 million in withheld commissions. In July 2010, Proactive was awarded only £90,000 as restitution.^[213]

David Moyes[link]

On 1 September 2006, Everton manager David Moyes sued Rooney for libel after the tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail published excerpts from Rooney's 2006 autobiography that accused the manager of leaking Rooney's reasons for leaving the club to the press.^[214] The case was settled out of court for £500,000 on 3 June 2008, and Rooney apologised to Moyes for "false claims" he had made in the book regarding the matter.^[215]

Allegations of infidelity[link]

Rooney reportedly had sex with prostitute Jennifer Thompson on a number of occasions in 2009, while his wife Coleen was pregnant with son Kai.^[216][217] Prostitute Helen Wood says Rooney paid £1,000 for a threesome with her and Jennifer Thompson in a Manchester hotel whilst Coleen was five months pregnant.^[218] It was reported his solicitors tried to fight the allegations when they first surfaced in early August 2010, but he was unable to prevent the publication of the fresh allegations as he had previously spoken of his shame at paying for sex.^[219][220] Alex Ferguson has suggested Rooney's form for Manchester United had suffered as he struggled to cope with the intense media scrutiny surrounding his private life due to these allegations.^[221]

Notes[link]

1. ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the FA Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

References[link]