BIOGRAPHY

Wonder boy Wayne Rooney is the name on everybody's lips as Roo-mania sweeps across the country. At the tender age of 16, Rooney announced himself to the Premiership as a top prospect - scoring a seamless goal against Arsenal to earn his first victory for Everton in the last minute of the game.

Wayne Rooney is a born and bred Liverpudlian. The son of a working-class family, he grew up in the suburb of Croxteth. Brought up in a three-bedroom council house with his parents, Jeanette and Wayne, and his younger brothers, Graham and John, young Wayne had not much more than the dreams of every other little boy in his town. His mum Jeanette was a dinner lady at a local school. The family have always been Everton-mad, and Rooney's old bedroom window, which was visible from the street, was filled with Everton pennants.

Rooney was the talk of the town well before his international success. He was only nine when he was spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton playing for boys' club Copplehouse in the local Walton and Kirkdale Junior League. In his last season with them he scored 99 goals before joining the Everton academy. His progress was so swift that he was playing for the Under-19s side when still only 15.

His life now is very different, though his superstardom doesn't look like it's gone to his head, he still looks like the boy next door, and if you passed him on the street you wouldn't look twice, he certainly doesn't carry the glamour of Beckham, but who cares? As long as he keeps scoring the goals, he's a national hero.

Wayne Rooney is the top goal scorer in Euro 2004, and has been describes by England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson as the greatest teenage talent to emerge at a soccer tournament since Pele at the 1958 World Cup. Still at only 18 his career has just started, Liverpool-born Ronney is a boy that everyone wants to be.

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United on Tuesday, 31 August 2004 despite a last minute holdup caused by his broken foot. Manchester United finalized the deal to acquire the 18-year-old striker from Everton at the transfer deadline date. The six-year deal is worth $48.3 million; with agent fees, the total soars to $54 million. "It was a tough decision to leave Everton, the club I've supported and played for all my life, but I'm excited to be joining a club as big as Manchester United," Rooney said in a statement released by his new team. "I feel this can only improve my career, playing with top players in top competitions like the Champions League and I can't wait to meet up with the team."