Wayne Rooney turned down Manchester United TWICE as a kid because of his love for Everton, reveals Sir Alex Ferguson
- Sir Alex Ferguson could have signed Wayne Rooney when he was 14/16
- Rooney turned down the move twice because of his love for Everton
- England captain eventually arrived at Old Trafford four years later for £26m
- The pair fell out during the manager's final year at Manchester United
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Sir Alex Ferguson missed out on signing Wayne Rooney as a youngster – ultimately costing Manchester United £25million - because of the then young Everton star’s love for the Toffees.
Then United director of youth Jimmy Ryan recommended the striker on two separate occasions, but Rooney - rising through the ranks at his hometown club - dismissed their advances.
Ferguson, talking to ITV ahead of England’s Euro 2016 qualifier against San Marino, confessed to Rooney knocking him back at 14 and 16 when they could have landed him for a fraction of the price forked out in 2004.
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Wayne Rooney, currently on international duty with England, twice turned down Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson, speaking to Arsene Wenger at a UEFA coaches forum this week, tried to lure Rooney when he was 14 and 16 years old
Ferguson admitted he never expected Rooney to come close to breaking Sir Bobby Charlton's scoring record
Rooney was given a warm reception at Duncan Ferguson's testimonial and could return to Everton one day
‘Jim Ryan came back from one of our academy games at the 14 years level and he said “I've seen a player” and he said the boy is Wayne Rooney and we tried to get him because there's a window at the end of the season - it's a one-week window - where we can entice or approach a boy from another club to come join your academy, but it failed,’ Ferguson said.
‘The boy wanted to stay at Everton - at that time he had a love of the club and he's an Everton fan.
‘When he got to 16 we tried again. We approached him to join as a 16-year-old, but once again he refused.’
The snubs will have come as a shock to United, who were in the process of monopolising the north west’s best young talent.
Rooney made his Blues debut in 2002 - at 16 years and 177 days - against Tottenham Hotspur; 183 days later he announced himself to the Premier League with that last-minute pearler against Arsenal, a moment synonymous with the eventual England captain’s meteoric rise.
It was then United got steelier in their pursuit.
A young Rooney turned out for England Under 15s around the same time that Ferguson tried to sign him
Rooney made his debut for childhood club Everton against Tottenham as a 16 year old in 2002
The youngster's wonder goal against Arsenal in 2003 grabbed the attention of the entire football world
‘I think everyone saw the highlights when he scored that goal against Arsenal,’ Ferguson added. ‘It confirmed exactly exactly what Jim Ryan had said. This boy was going to be a United player.
‘And then he came on as a sub against us and we beat them 4-3 and he missed a sitter in that game. But he came on as 17-year-old lad. After that, I had Walter Smith as my assistant and he said “we've got to get this kid, we've got to get him”, and that started the process of the bid.
‘Eventually we got it done in my office after we played Everton. There was Bill Kenwright, Maurice Watkins and David Moyes, obviously, arguing over the deal and we eventually got it done.’
It is not out of the question that Rooney will return to Goodison Park one day. Indeed, he was given a rousing reception at Duncan Ferguson’s recent testimonial and has patched up a relationship which had soured.
Manchester United eventually signed Rooney for £26million in 2004 - the then highest ever fee for a teenager
Ferguson guided the talented youngster through his introduction to the pressures of playing for United
A young Rooney celebrates a hat-trick on his Champions League debut against Fenerbahce in 2004
The pair lark about during a training session before their relationship at Old Trafford became strained
For now, though, he is in his 12th year at Old Trafford, amassing 234 goals. He could surpass Sir Bobby Charlton's all-time goalscoring record for England in San Marino on Saturday.
That's something Ferguson never saw coming.
‘We thought more of him as a footballer, we didn't reckon he was an absolute, out-and-out goal-scorer, you know?’ he added. ‘The evidence wasn't there that he was that. He was an outstanding footballer and that was the main reason we wanted him.’
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