Football Daily - Wayne Rooney – The Football Interview

Episode Date: August 16, 2025

England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney in conversation with Kelly Somers.Wayne tells his story of becoming one of England's greatest ever footballers. He shares what home life was like growing up and the single biggest turning point for his career, which came aged 14. Wayne goes on to talk about life post-football and the challenges he's faced as a manager, most recently at Birmingham City and Plymouth Argyle. And with having four children, will we see another Rooney play in the red of Manchester United?Plus, what's the significance of Sister Act? Or The Dubliners? And what has Wayne spent time educating himself on? Hear how he switches off from the unrelenting world of football and how life might have looked different without a career in the Premier League.Timecodes: 0:23 What does football mean to Wayne? 2:35 Wayne’s first experience of football 3:55 The biggest turning point in Wayne’s career 6:35 What football match would Rooney re-live? 7:28 Life after football, as a manager and pundit 13:55 Growing up in the Rooney household 14:52 The significance of family 18:04 Speaking on his son, Kai’s footballing prospects 21:36 All four Rooney boys 23:07 Favourite sport other than football? 24:31 Wayne’s favourite music 25’22 Favourite film? 26’30 Why does Wayne describe himself as ‘soft’? 26:55 What do people get wrong about Wayne? 28’00 What would Wayne be, if not a footballer?Football commentaries this week: Saturday 16th August PREMIER LEAGUE: Sunderland v West Ham 1500 KO, live on 5 Live. PREMIER LEAGUE: Spurs v Burnley 1500 KO, live on 5 Sports Extra. PREMIER LEAGUE: Wolves v Man City 1730 KO, live on 5 Live. Sunday 17th August PREMIER LEAGUE: Chelsea v Crystal Palace 1400 KO, live on 5 Live. PREMIER LEAGUE: Nottingham Forest v Brentford 1400 KO, live on 5 Sports Extra. PREMIER LEAGUE: Manchester United v Arsenal 1630 KO, live on 5 Live.

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They have hundreds of thousands of cars from top-rated dealers and advanced search tools, deal ratings and price history. So you know a great deal when you see one. That's C-A-R-G-U-R-U-S.ca.cair-Gurus.cair-Gurus.cai. The Football Interview on the Football Daily Podcast and BBC Eye Player. Wayne, welcome along, our first guest on The Football Interview. This is an opportunity to get to know people, players yourself a little bit better. So firstly the question that I'm always going to start with in these interviews, what does football mean to you? Football means everything really, I think

since I was a young boy, it's just fell in love with it, fell in love with the game, with everything about it and then obviously started to play it. As a young boy, it's all I want to do to play football, but that was in the school, in the house, out on the streets. Then for my local team, and then got picked up by Everton and the emotion of the game of trying to win and the excitement it was just a massive adrenaline rush and then I was fortunate enough to go on and play professionally and have a good long career really and so yeah I think it's and now I'm living in a different way really as as a parent and my children involved in football so I think it's something which will always be with me as long as I'm alive.

We'll dive into all of that during this interview, but talk to me about your first ever memory of football. When's the first time you can remember kicking a ball? It will be when, as soon as I can walk, I'd imagine, but my mum tells me that, so I can't remember that. But yeah, when I was three, four, five, I remember, just there was always a ball around the house and kicking it and we used to roll up socks as well and play with them rolled up and tennis balls and stuff and then as it went on I started playing out hard and you play with the ball outside and stuff so yeah as far back as I remember

I remember having a ball with me was it big in your family as well did your it was as fans really I think me my whole family at Evertonians and that's a massive thing for the family still is obviously to this day and that's being passed down at the different generations as well. And a lot of my family went into boxing as well. So there was that split of boxing football. But obviously I went into football and a few of me cousins and brothers and that. We all went into it.

But I was lucky enough to have that extra bit of talent to help me play professionally. Can you remember your first ever team, your first proper team that you played in? Yeah, I think it was the couple I was called. It was under 19, I think I was about seven. It was different then because I think kids were playing earlier. Now you're seeing like under five leagues and stuff like that. So yeah, so I was about seven, I think it was when I first played in my first game. And from then on, can you remember?

Because I read in some of your goal scoring records, quite bonkers, weren't they in those early days? Can you remember thinking, oh my gosh, I'm kind of scoring a lot more than the other players here? Yeah, I think I was just gradier than past the ball. So, yeah, you've obviously scored a lot of goals and I used to keep all the games on the fridge in the house so my mum used to do it with me and we'd write the game down what the score was and if I scored.

So we had that every season. I'd have that on the fridge in my mum's house. So when you're young, there's a lot of goals scored normally in games as well and then I kept scoring really and from there, yeah, progressed into Evans Academy. But as a young player, I think I was always a bit of. different because you want to win and you want to score goals but I just love playing. I loved the feeling of being in a team and you know being there with your mate as well so it was

really special growing up. When you look back obviously you are now retired so maybe you've had a bit more of an opportunity to reflect on it but was there one moment maybe a turning point in your career that kind of enabled you to go on and do what you did? Yeah I've spoke about this before but I was about 14 really and of doing things you probably shouldn't have been doing and Colin Harvey was the under 19 man at the time

he seen me cross in the row with a bag of cider at 14 which of course is wrong and he pulled me in and said if you keep doing this then you're going to throw your everything your talent your ability away and you need to focus yourself because you've got the ability to go on

and play for not just forever but for England and I think from then is when I thought, you know, I need to stop doing this. And I stopped going out and we made quite a lot then. All from that conversation. Yeah, and then just purely focused on football. And I used to go to school, after school, go to training, come home. And I used to get home and lie in front of the fire and just go to sleep and then obviously go to bed.

And that was constant for a couple of years. And then all of a sudden I found myself in Everton's first team. So, well, I think that conversation with Colmarvie was definitely the turn of me. You've mentioned Colin Harvey there but is there one person in particular that's potentially had the biggest impact on your career? I couldn't say one. I think my mum and dad equally

and I see it now obviously when I'm taking my kids to football and stuff and I feel very lucky because you can take them there in nice cars or whatever and we have the transport to take them my mum didn't drive and my dad worked

so I remember you know having to get three buses to train them with my mum at times and then go and with my dad when he'd take me to different places for tournaments and stuff like that. So I'll say about my mum and dad had huge roles to play which as a kid you probably want to appreciate as much you take you for granted the stress, the work they put in. You know, I've got two young brothers as well who they had to do it for.

So yeah, you do take that for granted and it's only rarely when you have kids. You see it and you understand the sacrifices they made for you to achieve what you can achieve. Are you that taxi dad now to football? Is that your role now? Yeah, well, we have to be, because you've got four boys, so they're all in different places as well. So me and Cleans often at different places. And the kids, the lads, always want me to be there as well.

So I have to mix it up, which one they go and watch. Yeah, it's non-stop, really, every day of the week. I'm fascinated by Wayne Rooney, the football dad, and we will dive into that more, but keeping with your football career, you played in some huge matches if there was one match that you could go back and relive

and you can change the outcome if you want what would it be? I don't know, I suppose there's probably, you can look at all games finals, what you've lost and you could say of course you'd change the outcome of that game I'd say if I had to choose one I'd say the Arsenal FACO final

in 2005 I think that was the performance how we played against a very good Arsenal team and then we lost on penalties that would be the one I'd say I'd go back and change because it was the one we probably deserved to win

you can look at the Barcelona finals and the game against Chelsea in the FACO final which was a tight game but that Arsenal game is one we definitely deserved to win so I think that would be the one I'd go back and change As for yourself after football

since playing you've been a manager you're now in the punditory world with us here at the BBC. What was that decision like for you when you finished playing? Did you always knew you wanted to try, management, was punditry, something you were interested in? What's that decision like? Yeah, certainly with management first,

I think something I always wanted to go into. And I seen as a challenge going into management. And I think that's why I'd never really, I could have waited and when I took an under 18 team or under 21 team. and that way, but I think I'm always someone who likes to be challenged as well and to take them head on, but also understanding there's a chance that it might go wrong as well. I don't mind taking that risk and taking that challenge where I know some former players

maybe mightn't do that and you might wait for the perfect opportunity, but yeah, and the Derby County one really, I was playing there and Philip Cockley got sacked and I was still playing so I had the decision to make to retire and stop playing and become manager or to keep playing and waiting a little bit longer so I felt I was ready and the right time and then that was obviously we went into administration and it was a really tough start to management but I felt we'd be done a really good job there at DC United when I went out there I thought we done a good job even though it doesn't get portrayed that way in DC United the finished bottom the three seasons I think it was before I went we got them with a

appointment of within playoffs and now the dead bottom against it have left so I think we've done a good job there. Birmingham 1 was everything was wrong about that to be honest the timing of it I think the fans didn't really give me an opportunity in we lost games so I don't think anything was right about that it felt right at the time but looking back I don't think it was and and Plymouth I think we were doing okay for where for what we had and and then obviously the decision was made and after that I thought I don't know why I keep putting myself in these positions.

And then also, I'm thinking about living away, obviously living in D.C. I moved to Birmingham and move to the Plymouth. Living away from my kids, you know, had their football and missing out on a lot of that. So obviously then looked into doing pundity, done bits of work. With that, enjoyed it, and then I just felt the time was right to go into it. So, yeah, here I am. We've seen bits of it. And, of course, you've got a new podcast with us at BBC Sport too.

But what sort of pundit is Wayne Rooney going to be? What can we expect? I think I'm quite fair and honest, really. And I feel that's the only way to be, really. I think if you're... And I always think, I say this with... If you're a player, if you're a manager, and obviously now a ponder,

I think the same values in all three of them that the fans aren't stupid. And I think if you're... If you expect me to sit there and talk about... sugarcoat things which I can see which other punts could see which the fans can see then I don't think I should be doing it so yeah but also I also get this there's some punts out there to try and go over the top as well in which I think all I can do is try and be fair with with what I'm seeing in from from a team point of view

manager's point of view at individual player point to view and I'm I'm sure there's probably happened already and I'm sure it will happen to some some players or managers might get annoyed with that, but, you know, I think you'd have to be honest with him and tell it too. What would Wayne Rooney, the player, think of Wayne Rooney, the pundit? Probably wouldn't like him. No, and I get that. Obviously, being a player, and we used to sit there and see pundits and used to think, why would he say that he knows what's like being here? But then, I think when you finish playing as a player, you realise and you don't understand

and why pundits say things and as a player you see everything you take it if you have a bad game as a player or you're going through a bad period anyone could say anything and it would get you but if it's really personal if it's a small thing um anything what someone says and you might have a grudge and never speak to them with them um i was never that way because i always think as a player you're there to be judged and people judging in a good way or people judging a bad way you're there you're out there that's that's that's football everyone's got an opinion as a player I've been criticized by many pundits I was never want to phone him up or get annoyed and it actually drove me a little bit

more to say okay I'm gonna make sure the next time you're speaking that you're saying good thing so yeah that's both that's where everyone's different and mentally in players in different places with the the mental health as well so that could that be a big factor on them so if you're criticising Manchester United players this season, it's actually you trying to motivate them? No, no, no, no, no, at all. You want to see, I want to see Man United to do well, of course, I do. And I have, I'm a very good mate with Johnny Evans and I criticised him last season. Yeah, you're honest, ultimately.

And then, am I with him two or three days later? Sorry, mate. No, but he knows as well, you're being honest, and so I think that's all you can be. And if you're speaking truthfully on what you feel, and it makes it very difficult for a player to come to you and question why you're saying things. The Dakar Rally is the ultimate off-road challenge, perfect for the ultimate defender. The high-performance defender, Octa, 626 horsepower twin turbo V8 engine and intelligent 6D dynamics air suspension. Learn more at Landrover.ca.

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podcast and BBC I player. Okay, well that's Wayne Rooney, the pundit the footballer. I think I'm more interested in Wayne Rooney, the person. You've already mentioned your early childhood and what it was like. But take me into a typical day growing up in the Rooney household.

Who was there? What kind of things went on? Yeah, there was my mum, my dad, two brothers, Graham and John. My nan lived just over the road from us. Why he went and spent a lot of time, living with my as well. My auntie and her kids, the family were so close. We didn't out of each other's houses a lot. I had to the local community centre. It's where we lived there, I think it was five houses and we were the second one in. Then there was three and then local community centre

there called the Gems which we'd go and hang out in and they had a tarmac pitch at the back of it so I was lucky there was a pitch right behind my house and my nan had the caravan outside the house where she'd sell Chris drinks, whatever she could, to our estate, the council state we lived in. It was a very normal, good upbringing where I think everyone looked out for each with her there, there and yeah, something I enjoyed. I guess what's quite unique for you in particular is it feels like you were in the public eye from a very young age, so we got to know, so to speak, Colleen from quite a young age as well, you've now got a family with Colleen. Everyone that I speak to, every football, you've already done it, tells me how important their family are. But how important has your family been? And I include Colleen in that because she's been such a long part of the journey. Yeah, well, from her professional point of view, Colleen has been the most important to me in terms of she's very strong-minded. She basically ran our family really and all the organisation of everything what goes on. She's incredible.

how she works on and does all that for us all and makes everything easier for us to so sometimes you think how is everything in place and whatever but she she obviously does it all so um but also i think she's very strong um mentally very strong um again come from the same where i come from we've known each other since before we were together and you know her parents or brothers so very become very close with everyone and um but yeah she's without doubt being the most important person in my professional career in growing up in that she dealt with a lot better than I did at times so yeah and then we really become strong together so I think I couldn't have asked for anymore you've got four boys so I probably know that the

answer to this isn't going to be simple but tell me what a typical relaxing day off looks like for you probably tired to have a sleep in my car and hiding there no I think The boys are a great fun, very energetic and constantly want to be doing something which is good. I think they're always wanting to play football, to, you know, always in camps as well. And literally, if you didn't tell them to go to sleep, they'd be up still all night. So, yeah, it's very, it's tiring, it's hard as well, which every parent's experience is that, but it's also great fun. How do you switch off?

How do you relax, though, as a person, Wayne Rooney? I always try and I always feel, and I've done this as a player, I'd like to have some time just to sit there and even watching TV series or when, you know, the X Factor or the voice or... You're like a reality. Whenever, then what, not all of them. Whenever, and watch something and just chill and with a glass of wine and just switch off from, from me.

everything really and the kids in bed or they're watching somewhere else and me and clean will sit down and watch it and it's important just to switch your mind off from from everything really and I think when I go home I used to do this as a player that leave anything football wise at the gate and come in and wouldn't even talk about football whatever so I've always been quite good at switching off and but I do like that time you know from 9pm until 11 or 12 where you We can actually just relax and not have to worry about time. It must be quite hard to switch off from football in your house with your boys because

Kai is in the Manchester United Academy and it sounds like he's doing pretty well. Yeah, he is. He's doing really well and I was at a wedding actually at the weekend. My cousin's wedding. They're doing the speeches and I've got my phone out watching Kai playing in Croatia. If they didn't know that before they know that now. It wasn't actually fan attention at the wedding. So yeah I jumped away. He scored in the last minute and he was off But I jumped up and... Did they think you were just cheering his feet? Yeah, no, but yeah, he's doing well.

He's come back for the new season. He got to the final in the Super Cup in Ireland, got beat the Southam to the final and then he's just been moved up a couple of age groups and went with the 118 to Croatia and he's done really well there. And then he's back in training this week. So, yeah, he loves it.

He wants to be a football player. I think that's the most important thing that he wants to do it. and he's working hard at times well. Describe what he's like because a lot of people won't know what kind of player he is? Yeah, he plays as a striker, he plays off the right. He's strong, he's not the tallest, but he'll be taller than me, I think, but some of the lads now are very tall, but he's strong, he's strong mentally and he understands the game, I think tactically he really understands the game and thinks about it.

And what he's done throughout the years, like he comes home, he cooks himself, himself. He speaks fluent Spanish. Fluent? So he's doing everything he can to try and, you know, go live his dream and let's play football. So yeah, he's proud of him, but he's got a lot more, a lot of hard work to go to try and get that opportunity to play and to play for Manchester United.

And if he does, then that's when the hard work starts again, and even more to try and maintain them. Every footballer has pressure. pressure. Every footballer at Manchester United has pressure. But I imagine being the son of Wayne Rooney at Manchester United brings even more pressure for him. Yeah, I don't

think he... He's not phased him whatsoever. And I remember when Rinaldo come back in the team, so Michael Carrack's lad, Jacey is in Kai's team. When Rinaldo come back, his lad was in the team. So he had Caddick's lad, Rinaldo's lad, lad, all in a one team. So when you were turning up for games,

there was hundreds, there's hundred people turn up for like an under 13 game whatever but yeah I think he's he's seen it all he's grew up with it you know and he's strong enough to push that to one side and I said it is his ambition to go and play football and I support him with that and I hope one day does what's it like watching him yeah it well rarely even being honest over the last few months has really been the fair time I could go on a consistent basis. Are you a shouter? Do you coach from the sidelines? I think it's important that he listens to his coaches and understand.

And then when we have the parents meeting with the coaches, I can give my thoughts and opinions, which a lot of the time is the same to the coaches, to be honest. But yeah, I think there's a lot of other parents who are doing the shouting on the touch side. So I stay quiet and I think I have a conversation with him on the way home and ask him how we feel about the game what he could do better, what he'd done well. I think doing in that way it suits them, I think. You have got three other boys, of course, as well.

What are they into? Is there another potential Mini Wayne Rooney coming through as well? Yeah, well, my second boy is at Man United under 13th. And he's doing well, he's a right back. Wow, I wasn't expecting that. Yeah, so he's playing a right back. um doing really well he's he's at that period now where he's he's one of the youngest in his age group so i think at the minute you can still see a little bit of a size difference and

and over the next year or two that'll become closer by him but no he's doing doing well he's tenacious he's a bit more laid back than what kai is um but yeah no he's doing well me seven-year-old is at everton under eight so he's just going in now three times a week he's He loves it, he's a big Everton fan, loves going in there, and the most important thing for him now is that he goes and has fun, I think. Yeah, yeah, and players. I mean, nine-year-old, he's into everything else but football. He went into everything, and then he didn't want to go,

and so now he wants to do fishing, he wants to do that, he wants to do golf. So he's the one. Actually, you don't know what you want to get in the morning when he's weak, So you could be at a golf course, a driving range. You could be fishing. So he's the one who keeps us on that toes. You've actually just sent him out to go fishing in a lake that you said doesn't have any fish.

I didn't send him out. He told me he was going, yeah. So I've told him it's got no fishing, but anyway, you might be there a while. Yeah, I think you could be there a long time. What's your favourite sport other than football? Boxing. Is that a big part of your life growing up as well? It was.

And even just family memories, you know, when in the 90s, when Mike Tyson or Lennox Lewis or, you know, Frank Bruno and all these lads were fighting in the 90s, the big heavyway fights. And then we used to have it on cable, so I think one of the family would buy them, we'd all be able to one hour watching it. So like five o'clock in the morning, all aunties, uncles, cousins and stuff. So they're great memories, family memories for when we were younger. But yeah, boxing, I love boxing, got into golf a little bit later here. here but boxing was always

such and watch growing up tennis as well I've always loved watching tennis so probably them to him you've glossed over the golf there but you play a bit now don't you? Bit, I love watching golf I would enjoy playing it more

if I played a little bit but I played Port Rush when I was in Ireland it's led to the stand-up from the British Open I think like anyone who is not best but not the worst you can have good days and bad days so and the good days are really

bad days and get frustrated I reckon Alan Shearer will have you playing soon. After a few matches of the days, you'll be playing with him. Yeah. No, listen, I don't mind. I love playing it. I love playing it, but also I hate playing there as well. Frustrating. At the same time, yeah. You've already admitted that you like a reality TV series.

What's your favourite song? Song. Or band, if that's easier. Growing up, it was always stereophonics, Oasis, the Verve, cast. So all these bands, which was, it was mad. I went to watch Oasis a couple of weeks ago at Wembley. And then cast were on, then Richard Ashcroft was on, and then obviously Oasis.

And the three I used to go and follow when I was young, and then I had obviously stereo phonics and Travis and all these bands, which don't really make bands like that no more. So the OASA content was incredible. So, favourite song, there's one which I listen to growing up. I sing it all time when I'm out with my mate and I think it's annoying them now. So it's called Seven Drunk Nights by the Dubliners, which I sing all the time and I think it annoys a lot of people now. Favorite film? Favorite film?

It was the Shaw Shank Redemption, but I think over the last few years, I think I'm going to have to say the Wolf Wall Street. I was hoping you were going to say, what is it, Cister Act, which is the... Sister Act? No, I love Cistern. I love musicals. I love musical films and I love going to theatre to watch music. musicals and stuff so but I think the Wolf Wars it was probably the favourite film. The reason I say sister actors because what important game did you watch that film before? Yeah, before the final, the Champions League final. That's not a normal preparation is it for a massive game? Do you know what? It was just the longest afternoon ever.

And I was always time watching a movie anyway before the evening game. And that day, the change in kickoff time changes everything like it and it changes what time you need to how much time you need. what time you need, how many times you eat before the game and stuff like that. So I don't think people realise the impact that actually has in the change of time when you kick off. So remember I had my laptop and watch the Cistak, yeah. I just love that story. A few that I just want to end on that I think are going to be quite interesting.

Tell me something about you that will surprise me. The one thing I could probably think of is like I cry at everything, the TV. X factor when people go through and start crying. So, and tearing up, yeah. So I know as a player I was quite aggressive and whatever, but I actually am quite soft really. What would you say people get wrong about you the most? I don't know, I think, certainly from going up

and coming into Evidence team and England, then Manchester Knight, I think, and it's no secret, I didn't even take GCSE's, didn't sit any. But I think people assume because of that, that I'm not educated, which I think is really wrong. And I've made a conscious effort, actually, when I was out of it and then join mine tonight to educate myself in a lot of different things, which... What sort of things? On black history, on religion. And the reason I done that was I wanted to be able to have to hold conversations with my teammates and who may be out from different backgrounds. and obviously over the last few years

is to come out more about people should educate themselves more or not something I've done really to help me with my teammates and help understand how they've been brought up, what life they've been brought up on and so yeah I think

that's probably something which people don't really understand some. Finish this sentence for me if I hadn't been a professional footballer I would have been the only thing I could say is a lot of my friends went into like labour or bricklaying

and then electricians and stuff like that, so I'd probably say one of them. And if you could only achieve or do one more thing in the rest of your life, what would it be? I mean, you've done most things already, really, haven't you? No, I don't know. I think maybe becoming an ex-James Bond. That is the perfect way to end.

Wayne, thank you so much for being our first guest. Of course, we can hear lots more stories like that, I hope, on your new podcast show this season. You definitely will, yeah. Yeah, looking forward to lots more revelations like that, thank you. Yeah, thank you. He scored goals, lifted trophies and broken records along the way. There it is! It's a day to remember to Wayne Rooney!

And now he's got a podcast. Welcome to the Wayne Rooney Show. Twice a week, Wayne Rooney, Kay Kerrude and me, Kelly Summers, break down the biggest stories in the Premier League and beyond. As much as you'd like to say it, loyalty in football now is no existence, whether that's fun players or managers. Plus, we'll hear the funniest, wildest and most outrageous stories from Wayne's career. The Wayne Rooney show.

Everybody's talking about it. Listen on BBC Sounds.