Wayne Rooney insists he has “great memories” of his time at Old Trafford ahead of Derby’s FA Cup clash with Manchester United tonight.
The Red Devils’ all-time leading goalscorer is set to lock horns with his former club at Pride Park, the place he has called home since departing MLS outfit DC United back in January.
Nevertheless, for Rooney no stadium will ever feel more like home than Old Trafford, where he enjoyed 13 successful years throughout the peak of his glittering career.
He racked up 559 appearances for United, scoring a club-record 253 goals and winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups, one FA Cup and the Champions League.
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And ahead of what could be an emotional reunion with his old side this evening, Rooney has admitted he endured “some huge highs and some lows” in his time at the club.
“I loved it there,” he told the Guardian .
“Some huge highs and some lows. When you’ve been somewhere so long, and you look back on it, your old teammates and the staff, it was the main part of my career.
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“It was enjoyable and something I’ll look back on with great memories.
“There was obviously the time when I nearly left the club, which I regret. There were lows but they were certainly outweighed by the highs.”
It will not be the first time Rooney has faced United since leaving in 2017, however.
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The former England captain lined up against them twice for Everton in the 2017/18 campaign, before waving goodbye to his boyhood team for a second time to move Stateside.
Yet his appearance against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s men in the FA Cup tonight could be the final time he shares a pitch with the Red Devils, given he is coming towards the end of his playing career at the age of 34.
“I can’t play forever so I need to think about my future after my playing days,” he added.
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“I love the game, I want to stay in it, so this is where I am and I want to learn as much as I can. I think it’s a shame when you see players who have been great players walking away and not really having a go at managing or coaching.
“Over the last few years it’s been great to see Frank [Lampard], Steven [Gerrard], JT [John Terry], Scott Parker, to see all of these former teammates of mine going into it.”
- Wayne Rooney
- Manchester United FC
- Derby County FC
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