Wayne Rooney made his Premier League debut for Everton at the age of 16, and the signs were there early on that he was going to be a superstar
When Wayne Rooney burst onto the scene as part of Everton’s first team at the age of 16, many were taken aback by the youngster’s extraordinary skills.
The striker quickly made a name for himself in football with a memorable late winner for the Blues against Arsenal in the Premier League in October 2002, having risen through the ranks of the club’s academy.
Rooney’s impact on his childhood team was immediate, and he enjoyed two standout breakthrough seasons, along with a remarkable Euro 2004 campaign with England, before making the move to Manchester United. At United, Rooney clinched five Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League trophy, becoming the club’s all-time leading goal scorer.
Towards the twilight of his career, Rooney returned to Everton before hanging up his boots in 2021 and transitioning into management with stints at Derby County, D. C. United, Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. It’s now been over 22 years since Rooney captivated everyone at Goodison Park with that spectacular goal against Arsenal.
One individual who was watching from the sidelines that day was former Everton physio Mick Rathbone, who had a close-up view of what Rooney was like off the pitch.
The ex-Birmingham, Blackburn and Preston defender shed light on the qualities that marked Rooney out for greatness in his memoir, The Smell of Football, including his reaction to playing in the Merseyside derby.
Rathbone wrote: “I have had so many high spots in my career, but being able to say I worked with Wayne is probably the top one. Everybody knows about him as a player, but I was lucky enough to know him as a lad.
“He is a very modest, polite young man, always courteous, always on time, hard-working, very bright and switched on. What sets these once-in-a-generation players apart from the rest?
“Obviously, much of it is natural ability and athleticism, but lots of players are talented and athletic. With Wayne, it was those things and – contrary to what many people think – the most incredible, unflappable temperament.”
Rathbone recounted his first impression of Rooney’s composure ahead of his first Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park in April 2003.
He said: “I remember about 30 minutes before…he came into the medical room and started juggling the ball and generally larking about. He was laughing and clowning around. I couldn’t believe how relaxed he was.
“I was sh*****g myself, as you would no doubt expect, even though I was only the physio, because the Merseyside derby is a big, big game.
“I was fascinated to get an insight into how he really felt, remembering when I was 17 years of age and about to cross the white line. That was it then, in a nutshell. Born to be great, born to play at the highest level.”
