To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Sir Alex Ferguson Was Furious Wayne Rooney Didn't Get The Match Ball In His Man Utd Debut

Sir Alex Ferguson Was Furious Wayne Rooney Didn't Get The Match Ball In His Man Utd Debut

Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to make sure an 18-year-old Rooney remembered his debut forever.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Wayne Rooney lived up to the hype after he completed his move from Everton to Manchester United in 2004.

He made an instant impact at the Red Devils as a teenager, scoring a hat-trick against Fenerbahçe in the Champions League.

Of course, it is unsurprising that Rooney wanted the match ball as a reminder of his superb debut.

"Can I have the ball?" he asked former referee Frank De Bleeckere.

Image
PA

However, the 54-year-old responded with a simple message: "That's for me."

While the former England international walked away empty-handed after that exchange, former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was not happy with what had happened.

Speaking to the Guardian in 2006, Rooney explained how the legendary Scotsman came to the rescue.

"I couldn't believe it," he said.

Image
PA

"The manager just said, 'What? I'm not having that' and went off to see the ref. Next thing he's back with the ball and I couldn't thank him enough."

Rooney would end up becoming United's all-time record scorer before re-joining Everton in 2017.

He made 393 appearances over the course of his United career and picked up multiple honours, including the Premier League title, FA Cup, Champions League and the Europa League.




Rooney is currently plying his trade with Derby County in the Championship and despite a poor start to the season, he still shows flashes of brilliance.

What was Rooney's most memorable moment in a United shirt?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: Football News, Football, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Man U, Champions League, Wayne Rooney

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

X

@AdnanRiaz9