“I got death threats”: United legend outlines how he dealt with strong reaction to his Old Trafford move

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has revealed that his move to Old Trafford sparked an intense reaction from some Everton supporters. The Englishman began his youth career on Merseyside before breaking into the senior side at the age of 16. Rooney soon became a first-team regular for the Toffees and his performances caught the eye of the Old Trafford hierarchy. The Red Devils came calling in the summer of 2004 and prised him away from Goodison Park, but his departure was not well received by some Everton fans. The Englishman has now shed light on the ordeal. Family faced backlash from fans Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney recalled how his family had to bear the brunt of his move to United. “I got death threats. My parents’ house was getting spray painted and smashed up. My girlfriend at the time, wife now, her house was getting spray painted. I think that’s where you have to be mentally strong. The people around you have to help.” “Leaving was difficult because I went to Manchester United, and Liverpool and Manchester was a big rivalry so that made it a lot more difficult. But I was always of a mindset of ‘I don’t care’. I knew what I wanted and I knew how to get there.” “I had to stay tough in my mind. This was people from my city so it was tough but I thought ‘I don’t care’, you have to be selfish and make these decisions.” The Englishman returned to Everton in the summer of 2017, after ending his stay at Old Trafford and spent one season at Goodison Park. Another Rooney ready to take over Old Trafford Rooney’s eldest son, Kai Rooney, is currently part of United’s youth ranks and could make his debut for the club in the coming years. United’s record goalscorer went on to explain how important it is for young players to have a strong support network. “Now the difference is social media. When I was young, I was in the local newspapers and so everyone in Liverpool really knew me.” “Now I have it with my boy who’s 16 and he’s on social media. He plays for my United, he’s sponsored by Puma and there’s hundreds of thousands or millions of people watching them when they’re that young, and I didn’t have that really.” “Being a young player and going into the first team especially, you’re getting judged. Rightly or wrongly, you get judged and that’s where you need the people around you, people at the club or your family to keep you in a good place.” “We can all get carried away with social media as well. So it’s really important that the people who are close to you have your best interest. It’s the main thing.” Rooney registered 253 goals and 142 assists in 559 appearances for United during his career, and was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s fabled side that won the Premier League and Champions League double in the 2007/08 season. Premier League All-Time Top Goalscorers RankPlayerNationGoals 1Alan ShearerEngland260 2Harry KaneEngland213 3Wayne RooneyEngland208 4Mohamed SalahEgypt190 5Andrew ColeEngland187 6Sergio AgüeroArgentina184 7Frank LampardEngland177 8Thierry HenryFrance175 9Robbie FowlerEngland163 10Jermain DefoeEngland162 Source: Premier League Website.Final Thoughts The reaction to Rooney’s departure from Everton highlights the strong connection that fans feel with their club and how they are emotionally attached with homegrown players. Thankfully, the Englishman was able to make a fairytale return to his boyhood club later in his career. Despite his association with Everton, Rooney remains an Old Trafford legend and is fondly remembered by United fans. His tenacity, work ethic and selflessness on the pitch live vivid in the memory of fans, as does his stunning overhead kick against Manchester City. Wayne Rooney in the Premier League in 2009/10 was simply unplayable: 🏟️ Games: 32⚽️ Goals: 26✅ Golden Boot winner🥇 Premier League Player of the Year🥇 PFA Players’ Player of the Year🥇 PFA Fans’ Player of the Year🥇 FWA Footballer of the Year🥇 Man Utd Players’ Player… pic.twitter.com/iP2yW6DLqk — Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) December 5, 2025 The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.