Wayne Rooney opens up on death threats received when joining Manchester United
Former England striker Wayne Rooney has said he received death threats when he left boyhood club Everton for Manchester United back in 2004.
After breaking into Everton’s first team at the age of 16, Rooney was still only 18 when made the move to Old Trafford in a £27million deal, having rejected a new contract offer which would have been a club record for the Toffees.
The exit of a player who had worn a t-shirt bearing the slogan ‘Once a blue, always a blue’ angered the Everton fanbase.
“I got death threats,” the 40-year-old said on BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show. “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 have 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.”
Rooney spent 13 seasons with United, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League amongst a host of honours, before returning to Everton in the summer of 2017.
After one season back at Goodison Park, Rooney left for Major League Soccer side DC United and ended his playing career with Derby.