With Wayne Rooney celebrating his 30th birthday on Saturday, The Times continues the countdown of the England captain’s 30 most memorable moments — good, bad and ugly. Click here for 30-26 and click here for 25-21
20. Caught smoking
While other players were still competing at Euro 2008, a tournament England had failed to qualify for under Steve McClaren, Rooney was pictured in a swimming pool, smoking, on his honeymoon in Las Vegas as he chatted with Coleen, his new bride. It would not be the last time he was caught having a crafty puff either. He was photographed smoking again after a night out in Manchester in August 2010.
19. World Cup qualifying goal: England v Poland, Wembley, October 15, 2013
England needed to win their final World Cup qualifying match to secure a place in Brazil after Ukraine had thrashed San Marino 8-0. The pressure was marked and they had to survive a number of anxious moments before Rooney stepped up to put Roy Hodgson’s team on course for a 2-0 victory. There were four minutes of the first half remaining when Leighton Baines whipped over a cross that Rooney was on hand to head home in impressive fashion to give his country a precious lead.
18. Sued by David Moyes
In 2007, Moyes sued Rooney — as well as the player’s ghost writer, Hunter Davies, and his publishers, Harper Collins — over comments made in the player’s autobiography, Wayne Rooney: My Story So Far. Moyes, Rooney’s manager at Everton, had been accused in the book of being overbearing, controlling and ultimately responsible for the striker’s £25.6 million move to United in 2004. The libel case was due to be heard at the High Court in London but Moyes, who claimed the allegations had “injured his professional and personal reputation and caused serious embarrassment and distress” settled out of court in 2008. It had been reported that Moyes was claiming more than £300,000 in libel damages. Rooney and Moyes were later reunited at Old Trafford when the Scot succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson as United manager. Their relationship repaired, Moyes helped to persuade the player to sign a new five-and-a-half-year contract with the club in February last year.
Advertisement
17. First international goal: Macedonia v England, Skopje, September 6, 2003
England were trailing 1-0 to Georgi Hristov’s goal midway through the first half in Skopje when, eight minutes after the restart, Rooney latched on to a knockdown from Emile Heskey before finishing coolly. It was his first goal for England, on his sixth appearance for his country, and came at the tender age of 17 years, 317 days, making him England’s youngest ever goalscorer. David Beckham later converted a penalty to secure a 2-1 win.
16. Hat-trick hero: Manchester United v Arsenal, Old Trafford, August 28, 2011
A humiliating afternoon for Arsenal, an unforgettable one for Rooney and his United team-mates. The England striker scored a hat-trick as United ran out 8-2 winners. Rooney scored the third, fourth and eighth goals as United inflicted Arsenal’s worst defeat since 1896.