Wayne Rooney Slams United Strand as Man Utd Fail to Win Fifth Game in a Row

Wayne Rooney has criticised viral fan TheUnitedStrand amid Manchester United's 1-1 draw at West Ham.

The fan, real name Frank Ilett, has been refusing to cut his hair until United win five matches in a row since 2024.

He had amassed nearly 500 days without a haircut before Tuesday night, when United had the chance to win their fifth consecutive Premier League match under interim boss Michael Carrick.

They created chances in the first half without seriously testing Mads Hermansen, but it was the Hammers who took a surprise lead at the London Stadium through Tomas Soucek's 49th-minute finish.

United equalised on 96 minutes through Benjamin Sesko's smart finish on the volley, but they couldn't find the winner in the two minutes of stoppage time that remained.

TheUnitedStrand hosted a live stream on the controversial streaming platform Kick, which featured his live reaction as he watched the match unfold.

It attracted over 300,000 viewers at its peak around full-time.

Carrick was even asked about the fan potentially getting his hair cut during his pre-match press conference, telling reporters that while his kids had made him aware, it wouldn't form part of his team talk.

But United legend Rooney, who is now a pundit for BBC, took a more critical view on TheUnitedStrand's stunt.

During an appearance on the 'No Tippy Tappy Football' podcast, co-hosted by Sam Allardyce and Natalie Pike, Rooney was asked - before the West Ham fixture - whether he would cut Ilett's hair: "I'd put him to the other side of the country. He's doing my head in.

"We're talking about Michael Carrick and Man United trying to win their fifth game in a row, and the whole thing is about to get this guy his hair cut.

"I bet he'd be devastated if Man United win the fifth game, because all of a sudden he's irrelevant."