Former England striker Wayne Rooney has revealed that he received death threats after leaving his boyhood club, Everton, to join Manchester United in 2004.
Rooney, then 18, signed for the Red Devils in a £27 million deal, turning down a club-record contract from Everton, a move that sparked outrage among some Toffees supporters.
Speaking on the latest episode of BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he said:
“I got death threats. My parents’ house was spray-painted and damaged. My girlfriend at the time, now my wife, had her house targeted as well.
“You have to be mentally strong and have the right people around you. Leaving was tough because Manchester United and Liverpool have a big rivalry. But I always had the mindset of ‘I don’t care.’ I knew what I wanted and how to get there. You have to stay tough. These were people from my own city, so it was hard, but I thought, ‘I don’t care’ you have to be a little selfish and make these decisions.”
Rooney also reflected on the pressures his oldest son, Kai, faces as a young player at Manchester United:
“Now it’s social media. When I was young, everything was in the local newspapers, so everyone in Liverpool knew me. But my son is on social media, sponsored by Puma, and there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, watching him at 16. That’s a whole new pressure.
“Being a young player in the first team means constant judgment. You need people around you family, club staff to keep you grounded. Social media can make it worse, so having people who truly have your best interests at heart is crucial.”
