Wayne Rooney Biography

Soccer Player

Photos ( See all 26 )

Wayne Rooney was 16 years old when he scored his first goal in England's Premiership league on 19 October 2002. The next year he became the youngest ever to play for the English national team, debuting against Australia in February of 2003. Suddenly Rooney was marked as the future of English soccer, much as Michael Owen had been a few years earlier. Rooney plays striker and is known for his goal-scoring instincts, his passing touch and his raw speed. He first played professionally for Everton from 2003-04 before transferring to the high-powered Manchester United club in 2004. He was the subject of intense fan interest before the 2006 World Cup, when he was selected for the English squad despite having fractured a bone in his foot in April, only a few weeks before the Cup began. Rooney played in the Cup but was red-carded in England's quarterfinal loss to Portugal.

Extra credit: Rooney is sometimes called "Roonaldo," a wry comparison to Brazilian star Ronaldo.