BBC · Dec 12, 2025
Rooney 'got death threats' after making Man Utd move
Image caption, Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United in 2004Former England striker Wayne Rooney says he received death threats when he made the move from boyhood club Everton to Manchester United.
Aged 18, Rooney signed for the Red Devils in a £27m deal in 2004 after turning down a club record contract offer from the Toffees.
But Rooney's move from Merseyside led to a heavy backlash from some Everton supporters.
"I got death threats," Rooney said on the latest episode of BBC Sport's The Wayne Rooney Show.
"My parents' house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted.