Wayne Rooney

Position:  Forward
Place of Birth:  Croxteth, England
Date Of Birth:  24/ 10/ 1985
Height:  5'10
Weight:  12st 5lbs

Wonder boy Wayne Rooney is the name on everybody's lips as Roo-mania sweeps across the country. At the tender age of 16, Rooney announced himself to the Premiership as a top prospect - scoring a seamless goal against Arsenal to earn his first victory for Everton in the last minute of the game.

Rooney was the talk of the town well before his international success. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. His progress was so swift that he was playing for the Under-19s side when still only 15.

Wayne Rooney is the top goal scorer in Euro 2004, and has been describes by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson as the greatest teenage talent to emerge at a soccer tournament since Pele at the 1958 World Cup. Still at only 18 his career has just started, Liverpool-born Ronney is a boy that everyone wants to be.

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on Tuesday, 31 August 2004 despite a last minute holdup caused by his broken foot. Manchester United finalized the deal to acquire the 18-year-old striker from Everton at the transfer deadline date. The six-year deal is worth $48.3 million; with agent fees, the total soars to $54 million. "It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as Manchester United," Rooney said in a statement released by his new team. "I feel this can only improve my career, playing with top players in top competitions like the Champions League and I can't wait to meet up with the team."

有人说他在锋线上的犀利像当年的“金童”欧文，有人说他独特的个性像“英格兰国宝”加斯科因，有人说他是天使，有人说他是恶棍，鲁尼总是人们讨论的焦点，而真正能让人们闭上嘴巴的，只有他在场上出神入化的表演。身体强壮的鲁尼在场上就像一部装备精良的坦克，他的突破更多依靠身体的冲击力，辅以一些简单的技术，足以将对方防线搅得七零八落。

鲁尼的出现刷新着一系列的纪录。2003年2月12日，他成为最年轻的英格兰国脚(17岁111天)、最年轻进球者(17岁317天，欧锦赛英格兰对瑞士)，在青春的鲁尼面前，几乎没有不可能