Sports
Rooney Reveals He Received Death Threats After Joining Man Utd
Former England striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that he received death threats after leaving Everton to join Manchester United in 2004.
The transfer, which saw the 18-year-old Rooney move to the Red Devils in a £27 million deal after rejecting a club-record contract from Everton, sparked outrage among some of the Toffees’ supporters.
Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney said:
“I got death threats.
“My parents’ house was getting spray-painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, had her house 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, Liverpool, and Manchester was 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. 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.”
Rooney also reflected on the experiences of his oldest son, Kai, who is currently part of Manchester United’s youth setup. He stressed the importance of a strong support system for young players entering professional football.
He said: “Now the difference is social media. When I was young, I was in the local newspapers, and so everyone in Liverpool really knew me.
“Now I have it with my boy, who’s 16, and he’s on social media. He plays for my United, he’s sponsored by Puma, and there are hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them when they’re that young, and I didn’t have that really.
“Being a young player and going into the first team, especially, you’re getting judged. Rightly or wrongly, you get judged, and that’s where you need the people around you, people at the club or your family, to keep you in a good place.
“We can all get carried away with social media as well. So it’s really important that the people who are close to you have your best interests. It’s the main thing.”
Rooney’s revelation sheds light on the intense scrutiny young footballers face and underscores the importance of mental resilience and strong support networks, especially in the age of social media.
