Varun Pai
Wayne Rooney reveals how he pushed to sign for Manchester United in 2004 instead of Chelsea
According to an interview done with BBC’s ‘Tony Bellow is Angry’ Podcast (h/t The Sun), Wayne Rooney has revealed how he put in a transfer request at Everton to sign for Manchester United back in 2004.
Rooney, who spent more than a decade at Old Trafford, broke several records and was a crucial part of the Red Devils’ 5 Premier League trophies and the 2007-08 Champions League triumph.
The Englishman signed for the Manchester-based club in 2004 under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson but has now revealed that he had to push to sign for the club as Everton wanted him to sign for Chelsea instead.
The 35-year-old explained that the Toffees needed the money at the time, and the Stamford Bridge club were offering the bigger fee. Despite all of this, Rooney pushed for a move to the red half of Manchester. He told BBC’s ‘Tony Bellow is Angry’ Podcast (h/t The Sun):
“I was getting pushed to go and play for Chelsea because they offered the most money, but I said ‘you’re not dictating where I go – I want to go to Manchester United’.
“This was in Moyesy’s office. So I went into the canteen and wrote ‘I Wayne Rooney request a transfer from Everton Football Club’ on a napkin or something!.. I felt I got backed into a corner to a certain extent, but that’s football.”
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United fans would certainly be pleased with this as the Englishman went on to become the club’s record goal-scorer while he also captained the club towards the end of his tenure at Old Trafford.
The 35-year-old retired from professional football earlier this year and is now the manager of Championship club Derby County.
