
Football
Share
Published 12:45 3 Aug 2016 BST
Explore more on these topics:
But, on the day of his testimonial match, Rooney's childhood hero and former Everton teammate (Big) Duncan Ferguson has claimed that the Manchester United forward is the best player to have stepped foot on a Premier League pitch.
"Wayne Rooney is a lovely man, a family man," Ferguson told the Mirror. "He's a totally trustworthy man, a great professional and, for me, he's been the best player we've ever had in the Premier League."
Ferguson played with Rooney when he made his career breakthrough at Goodison Park and the former Scotland international claims he knew from the get-go that the Toffees had a special talent on their hands.
"I stayed behind after training one day to have a look," Ferguson added. "Wayne was a substitute and came on and within 10 minutes he had scored two goals.
"I knew straight away there was something special about him. He had a great desire to get on the ball, he had great feet and he could finish.
"He also had the physicality and, of course, the talent. He was also fast and powerful so even at that age you could see he had everything you need to be a top, top player.
"He was the best 16-year-old footballer I had ever seen and still is, by the way. He would just get on the ball and run past people for fun.
"He was a tough kid from a tough area, but with a great sense of community. He had natural toughness and aggression and was made for the big stage."
Listen to our GAA podcast with Colm Parkinson. Click here to subscribe on iTunes.
https://soundcloud.com/sportsjoe-gaa-hour/we-join-the-celebrations-on-the-tipp-bus-and-paul-galvin-on-kerryLive sport on TV in Ireland this weekend – Football, GAA, Rugby – April 24th to 26th
Some huge clashes! The ultimate TV guide for live weekend sport in Ireland is back! It’s another huge week in the Premier League with Arsenal hosting Newcastle, there are a host of massive inter-county championship matches in both hurling and Gaelic football, and there is an intriguing Irish derby in the URC to look forward […]
Football
7h
Shane Long details why he missed celebration of one Ireland’s best ever moments
Well that’s a pity. Shane Long’s name will forever be etched in Irish footballing history. His goal in Ireland’s 1-0 win over Germany in their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign was one of the best finishes ever seen at the Aviva Stadium, and was the catalyst for wild celebrations both during after the game. However, the […]
Football
8h
The weekend’s action: Follow all of the football as City host Arsenal
Football