'Out on the street': Wayne Rooney admits there was a Liverpool player he used to pretend to be as a kid
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There has perhaps never been a player who has disliked Liverpool to the extent of Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney.
Rooney is one of the greatest Premier League players of all-time and a real icon of the English game.
However, having grown up an Everton supporter, come through the ranks at Goodison Park and gone on to become United’s top goalscorer of all-time, the Scouser simply detests Liverpool.
Rooney has spoken of his strong feelings towards the Reds in the past, admitting that he actually could not perform his best against them such was his desperation to hurt them.
But despite his clear loathing of anything Liverpool, there was also begrudging respect between Rooney and the Reds.
And though he clearly never wanted to walk out at Anfield as a Liverpool player, the 39-year-old has revealed that there was one former Reds hero who he used to really look up to.
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Rooney has been in the news recently after former Liverpool striker Michael Owen passionately argued that he was the better of the two prodigies as young player.
Owen hit back at a BBC Sport post on X which suggested that Rooney’s achievements as a 17 or 18-year-old were comparable to his.
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Asked to comment on the claims during The Wayne Rooney Show podcast on Monday, the United icon admitted that he actually used to pretend to be Owen when playing on the street as a kid.
“Me and Michael were very different players, different attributes,” he said.
“Michael Owen at 17, 18 was incredible.
Even though he played for Liverpool.”
Rooney also said that he understood why Owen would think he was the better wonderkid.
“I completely understand what he’s saying but we were two completely different footballers, different styles, different techniques,” he commented.
“Michael Owen for a three or four year period was probably the best centre-forward in the world, so it’s hard to argue for anyone coming up against him.
“I think his comments are fair, of course he’s going to back himself, I’m going to back myself.
I really did look up to him when I was young, we had very similar pathways in that we both came into the England squad quite young.”
Given the fact that he later joined Rooney at Man United, many Liverpool supporters will not back Owen in a debate between the two players.
The Ballon d’Or winner burnt a lot of bridges at Anfield and is barely recognised by Reds fans as one of their own.
Nevertheless, the now 45-year-old really was an incredible young player.
When he was coming through with Liverpool and England, there was not a better talent in the country.
The same could be said of Rooney five or six years later, and it is true that they were very different players.
But in terms of sheer excitement and, indeed, goal-scoring, nobody could touch Owen.