Rooney to return in Legends match

Wayne Rooney is set to represent Manchester United’s Legends team for the first time when the Reds host Celtic at Old Trafford on 7 September.

Twenty years on from linking with up with United for the first time, when the then teenage sensation switched Goodison Park for Old Trafford in the summer of 2004, Rooney can now look forward to a second debut with the Red Devils – this time, a maiden outing lining up alongside fellow United legends.

One of the club’s greatest ever players, and all-time leading goalscorer, Rooney’s name is one to transcend generations of not just United fans, but lovers of football worldwide, as one of the brightest sparks to have graced the game.

After bursting onto the scene with his boyhood club Everton, Rooney spent 13 years at United, going on to win every club honour available to him along the way, not to mention countless individual awards, too.

In his first two years as a professional, a 16-year-old Rooney scored one of the Premier League’s most iconic goals with a wondrous last-minute winner against Arsenal, made his international debut just a few months later, and then stole the show for England at Euro 2004 – scoring four goals and earning a place in the team of the tournament.

Though injury kept him waiting for almost a month to make his United debut, his career only continued to reach new heights when he finally set about Old Trafford’s home team dressing room, after joining the Reds from Everton in August 2004.

Rooney’s return! adcard

Armoured with a rip to the collar of his shirt, and a fearlessness and self-assurance about his own ability, Rooney’s combination of physical and technical excellence was apparent as he soon as he stepped out at the Theatre of Dreams as a Reds player – netting an unbelievable hat-trick on his debut against Fenerbahce in M16.

Two of his three strikes that night came from outside the box, including a sumptuous free-kick, as he notched 17 times in his debut Old Trafford campaign – with another particularly memorable effort at the back-end of that season seeing him unleash a rocket of a volley in at the Stretford End against Newcastle, all the while continuing to contest a decision of the referee!

Rooney scored twice in the following season’s League Cup final as he earned his first piece of silverware with the Reds, forming a formidable partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo – with their fearsome link-up play quickly becoming a key pillar of another fast-improving and ferociously attacking Sir Alex Ferguson side.

The 2006/07 campaign brought Rooney’s first Premier League title, scoring 20-plus goals in a season for the first time. The Manchester United machine kept on rolling, as Rooney again played a key role in 2007/08, when we retained our domestic title and memorably won the Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow, with a Club World Cup title duly following in the 2008/09 season.

Rooney had admirers across the globe not only for his ability, but his selflessness and willingness to support his team-mates. He played in all manner of attacking roles – notably from the left in that Champions League final – but always provided goals, in the way of both quality and quantity.

Through the years: United v Celtic

He enjoyed two 30-plus-goal seasons between 2009-2012, and en route to regaining the league title in 2010/11, he scored perhaps his most famous goal as a Red: an over-head kick – both crucial and stunning in equal measure – to beat rivals Manchester City.

He became club captain in 2014, when Louis van Gaal took over as boss, and he was also awarded the armband at international level in 2016 by Roy Hodgson.

Rooney completed the set of club honours during his final two years as a Red, with FA Cup and Europa League successes to bring down the curtain on his magnificent 13-year spell with United – during which he made 559 appearances and superseded Sir Bobby Charlton’s previously unchallenged goalscoring record for the club, bettering his tally of 249 by four, with 253 goals.

Rooney represented Everton, DC United and Derby County in the final years of his playing career, before moving into management and taking charge of the latter two of those sides – and he’s now boss at Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle.

Rooney will temporarily switch the dugout for the pitch when he returns to Old Trafford as a player for the first time in seven years next month – and having previously spoken of his admiration for Celtic, the Scottish side provide an apt opponent.

Highlights: Legends of the North

United and Celtic have only faced off four times competitively in history, with all four meetings coming between 2006-2008 in Champions League affairs. Rooney featured on each occasion, scoring once against the SPL heavyweights.

The competitive edge will remain for the Legends match, but charity will be the name of the game this time around – with all funds raised going back into Manchester United Foundation and its work with young people in Greater Manchester and beyond.

Rooney was a staunch supporter of the Foundation during his time as a Red, and maintained a connection with our work following his retirement, most prominently through our Inclusive Reds programme.

It will be an extremely fond reunion for all involved when Rooney can once again take the acclaim of the Old Trafford crowd on 7 September – and you can be there to witness it, with tickets now on sale to all supporters.

Secure your tickets to see Rooney and fellow United Legends return by

FAMILY OFFER

There are less than three weeks to go until the Legends clash between Man United and Celtic – and you can make this special occasion one to remember for all of the family.

Bring all the family along to Old Trafford for what will be a fantastic day; buy two adult tickets and receive two children’s (under-16s) tickets free of charge, when using the code ‘MULEGENDSFAMILY’ at checkout.