In the summer of 2004, as he entered a second season in Manchester United’s intense glare, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard encountered an expensive new teammate at the Carrington training ground. The newcomer’s poise and determination belied his teenage years.
“He was a tough-as-nails kid from Liverpool. Working class. Didn’t back down from anything,” Howard recalled this week. “He was a boy among a lot of men and never looked out of place. He never took any crap.”
His name was Wayne Rooney, who, at age 18, was 6 1/2 years younger than Howard. He had been the subject of what, at the time, was the largest transfer fee ($35 million) for a teenager in Premier League history.