Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney shared an awkward incident which took place during his early days at Old Trafford. The former striker joined United at the age of 19, when Sir Alex Ferguson recruited him from Everton. The legendary Scotsman then took Rooney under his wings and introduced one of the greatest team players to the world.
However, apparently it took a lot for Wayne Rooney to get there with Sir Alex Ferguson. Rooney, manager of MLS side DC United now, revealed one incident where the former United manager caught him at a bar during his early days after signing for the Red Devils. In his book “Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League”, the 37-year-old has recalled the time when he was fully taken aback by Sir Alex Ferguson’s eagle-eyes on his players.
Wayne Rooney’s run-in into Sir Alex Ferguson
Sir Alex Ferguson has had a reputation for taking some of the star players at United by the horns during his 26-year tenure as the manager. So much so that some of the big names even left Old Trafford after facing the wrath of the 80-year-old. Right from the glamorous David Beckham to the no-nonsense Roy Keane and Jaap Stam, all had their bitter-sweet moments with the manager which either ways, led to their departure from the club.
Wayne Rooney now recalls one such incident where he had a stand-off with Sir Alex Ferguson after he was caught by him in a pub in Croxteth, Liverpool. The former striker although shared a brilliant relationship with the Scot, having scored a staggering 197 goals in 402 appearances, he too had a run-in with the manager. Recalling his first awkward incident with his former manager, Rooney revealed in his book:
“The manager ]Sir Alex Ferguson] seemed like a really good bloke, but the next day I experienced his legendary influence first hand. It was a nice afternoon so I drove over to Crocky (Croxteth in Liverpool) to see the family. On the way, I spotted Mum and Dad in the car park of the local pub and I pulled over to say hello. We decided to go in for a drink, a diet pop for me.
“I was only there for 10 or 15 minutes before I went home, but a day later, the manager called me into his office. My first summons. [Ferguson said] ‘Wayne, what were you doing in that pub in Croxteth yesterday?'”
While the incident didn’t bear dire consequences, the two men formed a solid partnership and went on to conquer England. Apart from his brilliant 197 goals, Wayne Rooney also won 5 Premier League titles, 3 League Cups, one Champions League and a Club World Cup under Sir Alex Ferguson. However, the all-good relationship didn’t last long as a fallout between the two was reported in 2010, forcing the forward to hand-in a transfer request at the club.
Another tiff during the 2012/13 season once again had Rooney signing his transfer request, as was confirmed by Sir Alex Ferguson himself. However, the Scotsman retired at the end of the 2012/13 season, and Rooney eventually ended up staying at the club for four more years, playing under the next two managers Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho before returning to Everton.