United legend reveals “honest conversation” with Mourinho before shock Old Trafford exit

Manchester United signed Wayne Rooney from Everton in the summer of 2004 in a reported £25.6 million deal. The Englishman rose through the ranks at Goodison Park and broke into the first team as a 16 year old. He was so impressive that clubs around the country began to take notice, but it was United who won the race for his signature. The steep fee for a teenager – he was just 18 years old at that time – raised quite a few eyebrows, but it would eventually prove to be a bargain. An Old Trafford Legend Rooney announced himself in style, scoring a hat-trick in his debut for the Red Devils in the 6-2 win over Fenerbahce in the Champions League. It was a sign of things to come, for the Englishman would become an integral part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s title winning team. Apart from his obvious qualities with the ball, the player’s tenacity and work ethic on the pitch also endeared him to fans. The Englishman would go on to become United’s record goalscorer, registering 253 goals and 142 assists in 559 appearances. Wayne Rooney: Stats By Club ClubAppearancesGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Manchester United55925314298144,787′ Everton FC1172882617,895′ D.C. United522514624,397′ Derby County35733-2,987′ Manchester United U211—-61′ Total764313167133460.127′ Source: Transfermarkt. Rooney scored 183 Premier League goals for the Red Devils, the third-most for a single club behind Harry Kane (213) and Sergio Aguero (184). The Englishman ended his stay at the Theatre of Dreams in the summer of 2017. By then, Rooney had won 16 trophies with the English giants, including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League, FIFA Club World Cup, Community Shield, and the EFL Cup. The Englishman recently revealed the circumstances that led to his exit. A heart-to-heart with Mourinho Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show, Rooney revealed that a conversation with former manager Jose Mourinho paved the path to his Old Trafford exit. “I started the season with Zlatan and I knew José only plays one up front. In the first three or four games, he played the two of us and I knew as soon as I had a bad game that I wasn’t going to play and Zlatan was going to be the forward,” said Rooney. Sure enough, the Englishman was in and out of the starting XI as the season progressed, prompting him to approach then-manager Mourinho. “I went in and had an honest conversation with José and asked him if I could go on loan in January because I wanted to play and he said no. He said he needed me more so for the Europa League but I could leave in the summer,” said Rooney. “I stood up, shook his hand, didn’t complain about it again, sat on the bench and came on and played a few games from then until the end of the season. But that was an honest conversation and two men shaking hands and agreeing on something which I think is probably the right thing to do.” Wazza ultimately left Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, returning to Everton. After one season on Merseyside, he joined MLS side DC United, before moving to Derby County and hanging up his boots. Final Thoughts Even though Rooney could not retire at Old Trafford, United fans have many beautiful memories of the Englishman, including that overhead kick against Manchester City. However, with his son Kai coming up the ranks at Carrington, the ‘Rooney’ name could echo around the Theatre of Dreams soon. Wayne Mark Rooney. pic.twitter.com/v7Rim5L19P — Premier League (@premierleague) October 24, 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.