Sir Alex Ferguson said Wayne Rooney could ‘excel in any era’ and put him in the same conversation as Sir Bobby Charlton. They occasionally may not have seen eye to eye during the Liverpool-born striker’s trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford, but Rooney was Ferguson’s talisman in the latter stages of his reign.

Manchester United signed Rooney for £30 million in August 2004, and it was clear they had captured arguably the most exciting English talent since Paul Gascoigne. He became an icon, scoring 253 goals and 139 assists in 559 games, making him the club’s all-time top scorer. He also won 17 major trophies, including five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

Rooney lived the dream of every budding English footballer, including representing his favourite club, Everton, at the start and end of his career. His youth days with the Toffees were an important stage in his development, and there were three Brits he’d grown up idolizing and looked to replicate when he got his break at just 15 years old.

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Duncan Ferguson

Career Span: 1990–2006

Duncan Ferguson was in the twilight of his career when Rooney’s rise to superstardom began at Goodison Park. But the pair played together on 31 occasions before the fiery Scot called time on his career in 2006.

This was a dream come true for Rooney because he idolized Ferguson and explained this to Gary Neville on The Overlap in May 2024:

Ferguson’s mindset was all about the fight. He embodied a never-say-die attitude that made him a hero at Goodison while excelling up top as a fearsome 6ft 4in frontman. He helped the Toffees win the FA Cup in 1995, coming off the bench in the 51st minute of a 1-0 final win over Manchester United.

The former eight-cap Scotland international was a cult hero who earned the admiration of the Merseysiders’ loyal fanbase throughout his time with the club. He scored his debut goal in a 2-0 victory against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby in 1994 and was a true warrior every time he donned Everton’s blue and white.

Paul Gascoigne

Career Span: 1985–2004

Paul Gascoigne is another former Everton attacker whom Rooney looked up to during his childhood. They crossed paths when he was rising through the youth ranks at Goodison.

The iconic former England midfielder was a playmaking genius who often stole the show with exceptional dribbling and an incredible footballing IQ. He starred at Tottenham Hotspur and won the FA Cup in 1991, although he suffered torn cruciate ligaments in a 2-1 final win against Nottingham Forest.

Rooney took Ferguson’s fighting mentality on, and there’s an argument that he showcased creativity similar to that of Gascoigne. There was also mass excitement over ‘Wazza’s’ meteoric rise, as when ‘Gazzamania’ took hold in the nineties.

Alan Shearer

Career Span: 1998–2006

Rooney nearly joined Alan Shearer at Newcastle United before heading to Manchester United in 2004, later revealing he had spoken to the Magpies’ legend about a potential St James’ Park switch. He’d have lined up against the deadliest finisher in Premier League history and one of his idols.

Rooney’s best spell of his career came as a rampant number nine, during which he displayed similar goalscoring potency to Shearer but couldn’t displace him in the Premier League’s all-time top scorer list. The legendary former England frontman, who won the league title with Blackburn Rovers, was a real fox in the box, a clinical finisher whose eye for goal blended with inspiring leadership qualities.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and Opta – correct as of 06/04/2025.

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