I fooled Coleen’s parents with a steak and chips dinner, Everton’s goalkeeper called me a ‘flash b*****d’ at age 10 and I used to sing musicals on England duty: Wayne Rooney ‘myth busts’ stories from his career

Wayne Rooney has ‘myth-busted’ several stories from his glittering playing career and revealed how he once fooled his wife’s parents by pretending to cook them dinner.

Ever the mischievous fellow, the 38-year-old opened up several humorous anecdotes about how he also once pulled a prank on his former Everton manager David Moyes while the Scot was on the toilet, and how a Toffees legend once gave him a ‘flash b*****d’.

The former England striker enjoyed a 20-year football career, playing for Everton, Manchester United, DC United and Derby County before hanging up his boots in 2021. During that time the striker met his wife Coleen, and the pair got married. in 2008 – the same year Man United won the Champions League.

Rooney and Coleen were together for almost six years before they married, and now have four children together. But as we talked about the Stick with the football podcastis sponsored by Sky betRooney was asked by Gary Neville if it was true that he once pretended to cook a steak and chips dinner for his wife and her parents.

“The first meal you ever cooked in your life was in 2003: steak and chips for yourself and Coleen on a George Forman grill,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast. He added, “And you had to call her for help?”

Rooney then replied: ‘No, that’s not true. It was actually a meal for Coleen and her parents!’

As he delved deeper into the story, Rooney then admitted that he hadn’t actually even cooked.

When asked what else was wrong with the story, he added, “The fact that I cooked. I had just bought my first house in Formby and Coleen and I moved here. Her mom and dad came over for dinner, so I said I would cook for them.

‘I went to the Italian around the corner, got steak and chips – something I thought they might think I had cooked, put the rubbish in the bin and took credit for the meal.

The 38-year-old, who was announced as the new manager of Plymouth Argyle last week, started his football career in Everton’s academy.

He would quickly rise through the ranks and become one of the most exciting young talents English football has ever produced. He most notably announced himself to the world by becoming the league’s top scorer with a sensational long-range goal against Arsenal in 2002, aged just 16 years, 360 days old.

Many former managers and coaches testify that Rooney was a gifted player from an early age, and one who could attest to that is legendary Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall, who saw first-hand the skills the young star possessed even when he was just was 10 years old. old.

Speaking about another story from his life, Rooney, a lifelong Evertonian, was asked by Neville if it was true that Southall, a European Cup winner with the Toffees, had been infuriated by Rooney’s raw talent.

“One time at the age of 10 you were mascot at Goodison Park and you chipped Neville Southall from outside the area,” Neville said. “You’d been practicing it all week and Southall called you a ‘flash b*****d.’

Rooney then admitted: ‘Yes [it happened]. I waited for the game, it felt like forever. It was at Anfield and I think it was the only game in recent years that was canceled due to rain, so I waited for months.

“When it was moved I went as the mascot and there was Dave Watson and John Barnes, and when you went out the goalkeepers would take the mascots out and make a kick.

The 38-year-old, who has scored a number of sensational goals for both Everton and United during his career, revealed he had dined Southall at Anfield twice before the match.

‘It happened twice: Southall rolled it out and I gave him a beer, and I saw him look at me to say, what are you doing?

“So he rolled it out and I got a few more shots in his hand, and then I dinnered him again. He called me a “little b*****d.” I was ten years old.’

During his time at Everton, Rooney also revealed that he threw a bucket of cold water on David Moyes while he was sitting on the toilet, with the now West Ham manager never finding out that Rooney had pulled off the prank.

‘Moysey ran in from the training field, he must have urgently needed the toilet. He ran in, straight into the first team toilet, went to the toilet and closed the door,” Rooney recounted the incident.

‘I knew what was happening, I could see them [my teammates] looked at me, filled a bucket and said ‘there you go’. I went to the next stall, stood on the toilet, [threw the bucket] and sprinted out of there. I was gone – I wasn’t waiting!’

Rooney enjoyed a stellar international career with England, becoming the Three Lions all-time top scorer with 53 goals, before being succeeded by Harry Kane in March 2023.

Although the Liverpool-born striker never won a major trophy with England, he did feature in three World Cup campaigns and three European Championships, captaining the side at the 2016 European Championship.

But his first taste of playing in a major international tournament would come at Euro 2004, where he scored four goals in the group stage to help England reach the quarter-finals, where they were eventually knocked out 8–7 by Portugal on penalties.

Rooney had reportedly expressed an interest in musicals, particularly Oliver, and would sing the songs while receiving a massage.

Neville asked him: ‘Is it true that at the 2004 European Championships you watched Oliver and sang all the songs as you got a massage?

‘Yes that is true. “I loved the ‘Boy For Sale’ part,” Rooney replied.

Roy Keane spoke at the Stick to football podcast brought to you by Sky bet.