An ode to Wayne Rooney from a Manchester United fan

After 13 years at Old Trafford, Wayne Rooney has finally called time on his time with Manchester United

It’s rightly said that you realise the importance of something when it’s gone. And the deal has now been done as pour my emotions here. As I pinch myself, this still feels like a dream which I never wanted to have a single visual of.

‘Wayne Rooney leaves Manchester United’. These five words feel like a trumpet of doom. These five words kill what was little left of the team Sir Alex built at Old Trafford. These five words, in all likelihood, are never going to be forgotten by a true red. These five words end an era of 13 years. 13 years of utmost passion, strength and leadership.

In 2004 summer transfer window, Sir Alex had said, “there were plenty of eyebrows raised” for the transfer of an 18-year-old to a club of this stature. My god the gaffer made some call in possibly the best investment Manchester United ever made.

Your values and your spirit will never be forgotten from day one to today. It all started with the number eight jersey in the Champions League against Fenerbahçe. 18 Years and 335 days old, and here I am 21 years old, sitting idle and writing about you. You were already a sensation in your first match for this club after scoring a hat trick and assisting one. I bet every United fan around the world was ecstatic to see what was in store for us.

I wouldn’t want to write about the moments wherein you have saved the team, taken one for the team, gotten a bruise and still continued to fight, led the team to every trophy possible because if I do that, I probably have t write a thousand page novel on Wayne Rooney.

Wayne Rooney scored one of the greatest goals in the history Manchester derbies

“I have never seen a goal like that,” said the manager who probably saw the most nail-biting finishes throughout his career. It’s hard not to mention the bicycle kick against the blue half of Manchester. I did not see that moment live but it’s very easy to imagine what the stadium would have felt like.

I bet if there was a Richter scale to measure Old Trafford the way it erupted, the number on that would be awfully high. Seeing that video thousand times already, I remember what the commentator said, ‘ROOOOOONEYY, What a goal, at what a time, in what a place.” There haven’t been better words spoken.

Even when I didn’t start watching football, I remember playing FIFA and I guess I don’t have to say, who caught my eyes there. You were the reason people started following Manchester United. For me, you were the reason I started watching football. There might be other favourites, but for me, you are no less than any Messi or Ronaldo.

Players came, trophies came, moments came but there was always one thing static. The zeal of Wayne Rooney. What you have done throughout your career is commendable. There are no words to define your career. You were and you always will be a proper legend. It’s heartbreaking to see you go, but I am more than happy that you are going to your boyhood club, though, the upcoming photos of you in a blue shirt are going to be utterly stressful.

For millions of Manchester United fans, Wayne Rooney embodied the spirit of the club

I haven’t been a life-long United follower since I started following football late, but I still can say, whatever I have seen of you, has just baffled me and left me amazed. It always scared the shit out of me when you would go the referee fighting for every single foul, but now I realise what a leader you were.

 A player like you could have earned millions of pounds in any country where the football is about money, yet you switch and return to the club which made you. You have set an example not only for footballers but for everyone to follow what they love.

You once said you hate losing and boy how well have you proven that all your career. You have been hated by your fans and it’s sad that people still have to think about giving a legendary status to a player like you. And to all the haters, “He goes by the name Wayne Rooney” and he has torn you apart.

I never saw Pele play, but when people say you are the white Pele, I would most likely disagree and say you are ‘The Wayne Rooney.’ I am proud to say that I was alive when I heard the words, “Wayne Rooney is the all-time top scorer of Manchester United.” How you celebrated one of the most beautiful free kicks defines you and your life’s work. As humble as it was, it showed that the three points have always mattered more to you than any individual accolade. 

In the end, I just want to say that it has been a privilege to watch you play for Manchester United and what you are leaving behind is a legacy of goals, trophies, blood and true loyalty. 13 years of service, in such a money-driven environment –  unimaginable. I hope when you come back to Old Trafford in a different colour, you still feel that it is your home

You are what Manchester United stands for. You are what football stands for. Thank you, Wazza!