Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney hilariously admits Everton U19 coach caught him with ‘a bag of cider and packet of cigarettes’ when he was just 14
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has revealed he was caught with cider and cigarettes aged 14 by an Everton youth coach in a hilarious anecdote.
Rooney was chatting alongside fellow Premier League legends Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and Roy Keane, as well as Lionesses icon Jill Scott, in the latest episode of The Overlap. The group discussed the the drinking habits of people in Liverpool, as Carragher made a reference to anything from grassroots games to christenings warranting a boozy celebration. Rooney took that opportunity to tell a hilarious anecdote about growing up in his hometown of Croxteth, Liverpool.
Rooney told The Overlap: “Where I grew up wasn’t an easy place to live, but I used to absolutely love growing up there. It taught me so many different things. I remember when I was 14, I was crossing the road, I think it was a Thursday or something like that. I was playing for the U19s on Saturday for Everton, Colin Harvey was the manager. So I’m crossing the road, I’ve got a bag of cider and a packet of cigarettes, a car stops to let me cross – and it was Colin Harvey!”
Rooney’s escapades had no effect on a stunning Everton career which saw him seal a switch to United at just 18 years of age back in 2004. He went on to become a legend at Old Trafford before returning to the Toffees in 2017. Rooney then moved to MLS with DC United before finishing his playing career at Championship club Derby County, retiring in January 2021.
Despite such an esteemed playing career, Rooney has largely failed to live up to the billing at managerial level. He has averaged a dire 1.14, 1.04 and 0.67 points per game as permanent manager of Derby, DC United and Birmingham, respectively, and has been out of work since being sacked by the Blues in January following a dreadful spell.
