"Tell him to fu** off" - Wayne Rooney admits to being an 'arrogant prick' when Sir Alex Ferguson first tried to sign him for Manchester United  

Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has admitted to being extremely arrogant the first time Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sign him. The Derby County manager revealed that the Red Devils tried to sign him when he was just14 years old.

However, a young Rooney rejected the offer in order to stay with his boyhood side Everton. Speaking about United's first-ever contact, Wayne Rooney said (via The Sun):

Sir Alex ­Ferguson tried to sign me when I was 14. He was on the phone to my mum and dad. They said, ‘Alex is on the phone, Manchester United want to sign you.' I said, ‘Tell him to f**** off. I want to play for Everton.' Then, as time went on, I knew I had to play for Alex Ferguson. The reason I signed for United was Alex Ferguson.”

Wayne Rooney was arguably one of the most sought-after youngsters in English football at the time. The English forward made his Everton debut at the age of 16 and played two full seasons for them. He would later move to Manchester United in the summer of 2004 for a fee of around £26 million.

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Wayne Rooney has an outstanding legacy at Manchester United

Wayne Rooney is widely regarded as one of Manchester United's best centre-forwards. The 36-year-old Derby boss spent 13 seasons with the Red Devils and became the club's all-time leading scorer, surpassing the great Sir Bobby Charlton. The forward netted 253 goals and provided 146 assists in 559 appearances across all competitions.

The former England international also won numerous trophies whilst playing at Old Trafford. Rooney would go on to lift five Premier League titles, a Champions League and an FA Cup trophy during his time at the club.

Following his spell at Manchester United, Rooney returned to his boyhood club Everton for the 2017-18 season where he scored 11 times in 40 appearances.

The Englishman would then go on to represent DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS) in 2018. He would play two seasons in America before returning to England via Derby County. He played two seasons in the Championship before becoming their permanent manager in 2020.

It is also worth mentioning that Wayne Rooney is currently England's all-time record goalscorer as well. The 36-year-old scored 53 times in 120 caps for the Three Lions. However, he is close to being surpassed by Tottenham Hotspur ace Harry Kane, who has netted 49 times so far.