Former Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney has said he received death threats when he moved from Everton to Manchester United.
Rooney left Everton at the age of 18 in 2004. He joined Manchester United in a deal worth 27 million euros after he refused to sign a new contract with Everton.
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However, his move from Merseyside to Manchester made some Everton fans very angry. Rooney said this caused serious problems for him.
“I received death threats,” Rooney said on The Wayne Rooney Show. “People sprayed abusive words with paint on my parents’ house and on my girlfriend’s house. She is now my wife.”
Rooney said leaving Everton was very difficult because he joined Manchester United, where Manchester City and Liverpool are strong rivals. This made the situation even harder.
“But I always believed that if you are strong mentally, you can overcome anything,” he said. “I knew what I wanted and I knew where I was going.”
Rooney also said that when he joined Manchester United, social media was not common. He believes social media now puts more pressure on young footballers.
“When I was young, my name was already in local newspapers, so many people in Liverpool knew me,” he said. “Joining a big club at a young age makes people judge you very quickly, whether you are right or wrong. At that time, you really need people around you, like teammates, to support and encourage you.”