‘I was fuming’ — Rooney on being made to wait for Everton debut
Wayne Rooney was left “fuming” as he was made to wait for his Everton debut, back in his days as an up and coming teenager.
Rooney burst onto the scene with a stunning goal against Arsenal in October 2002. But before then, there was plenty of buzz around the Everton academy star.
And speaking to wefundgrassrootssport.com partner Toffee TV, Rooney revealed how frustrated he was when David Moyes included him in Everton’s squad for a game against Southampton late in the 2001-02 season, only to not bring him on from the bench.
Rooney said: “I was warming up, and we’re winning the game. If Moyes had put me on I’d have been the youngest player to play for Everton.
“I was fuming he didn’t put me on. Then we had Blackburn Rovers, last game of the season, and I got called up to the Under-17s Euros with England. I was devastated, I didn’t want to go, because I’d have played a part in the game.
“But to be on the bench and be round it, it was mad.”
Rooney also reminisced over when he first was given the nod to be involved in a full pre-season with the Everton first team, which came ahead of the 2002-03 campaign.
He said: “I think I played in the Youth Cup when I was 14, 15 and 16. The final against [Aston] Villa, I remember Moyes came in after the game and told me to get a couple of weeks’ rest, because I’d be doing pre-season with the first team. I was buzzing. So I went to Benidorm!
“Then I came back and we flew out to France or Austria. To do pre-season, I knew that was my chance and nobody was going to get in my way. Playing with Duncan [Ferguson], players who I grew up and they were my heroes, and I was playing with them. It was mad. But I just wanted to take my chance and nothing was going to stop me.”