This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
December 4, 2019, marked a significant moment in the career of Wayne Rooney, as he revealed the unconventional method he used to secure his transfer to Manchester United in 2004.
At just 18 years old, Rooney was already an ambitious player with a desire to win trophies. He felt that staying at Everton for another year or two would not be enough to achieve his goals, and he was ready to take on the biggest stage.
According to Rooney, he went to manager David Moyes and told him that he wanted to leave the club. Moyes, however, asked him to put in a formal transfer request, which Rooney did by writing it out on a piece of paper in the canteen.
"I'm an ambitious person and I want to win trophies. I knew staying at Everton for another year, another two years...that wasn't going to happen," Rooney said in an interview with Amazon Prime.
Rooney's decision to leave Everton was met with criticism from the club's supporters, but he went on to spend 13 years at Manchester United before returning to Goodison Park in an emotional move.
