Wayne Rooney Reveals Death Threats After Man Utd Move

Rooney: “I Got Death Threats After Joining Manchester United”

Former England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has revealed he received death threats after leaving Everton for Manchester United in 2004 at the age of 18.

Rooney, speaking on the latest episode of BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show, said:

“I got death threats. My parents’ house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted.”

Rooney turned down a record-breaking contract offer from Everton to join United in a £27 million move that sparked anger among some Merseyside fans.

Despite the threats, Rooney says he stayed mentally strong:

“You have to be selfish and make these decisions. This was people from my city, so it was tough but I thought ‘I don’t care’. I knew what I wanted.”

Modern Pressures: Rooney Talks About Son Kai and Social Media

Rooney, now watching his 16-year-old son Kai Rooney come through Manchester United’s academy, spoke about the added pressure social media puts on young players today:

“There’s millions watching them now at that age. I didn’t have that. It’s a different kind of pressure.”

Kai is sponsored by Puma and regularly in the public eye—something Rooney says makes a strong support network essential for young footballers.

Childhood Letters to Duncan Ferguson in Prison

Rooney also shared a touching story from his childhood—writing letters to Everton striker Duncan Ferguson during Ferguson’s prison stint in 1995 for headbutting an opponent while playing for Rangers.

“I used to write to him in jail, and he’d write back. It was just me telling him how much I love him.”

Rooney recalled how Ferguson later supported him during his early years at Everton, even driving him home from training:

“Duncan used to take me home to my mum’s house, and my dad was out the window waving. That was surreal.”