 Welcome to Toffy TV, I'm delighted to say I'm joined in this year by England legend, Evertonian, Wayne Rooney. Thank you very much for coming in, go to see you, talk about your Everton career and many different stages of it. Just before we get on to obviously shining for Everton, when did you start kicking a foot here? I don't know really, it's far back as a new member. I was lucky actually because in Croghiwyr I lived. I'd be at the gym's youth club and so I'd be at my house with the pitch, like a tarmac pitch. So I used to just climb over the fence and I'd be on there on my own for hours and just playing. Out on the street and just enjoying it, loved it, loved it, loved it in Everton. But the first time was probably, I don't know, as far back as I've been. That way you honed all your skills on that tarmac pitch? Yeah, a bit, and obviously I used to go out on the street and all the older lads, I used to go and play with them and used to have games and stuff. They let me join in because I was better than me made two at my age. I joined in with all the older lads and then really just went from there, joined the couple house when I was... about seven or eight, joined the couple house and then obviously everything. I went for the trial at Liverpool first. Done one day, went and me having kids. Done one day and then that night Bob Helmson went and touched me with it and that was it. I didn't go back to Liverpool. But any wide-eyed when you walked in, did you have anything to kiss on at Liverpool? A few, a few, yeah, but to be honest it was the only kid I had to be honest. But no, I didn't really want to go being honest. But I thought I would just go with everything. I was a bit gutted that everything had come in at that time, because I was doing well. Everton must have found out that I had gone for the title at Liverpool and stayed away that night. I didn't call my dad up, so I'm safe and loving them. Mae ddo, mae ddo feth y gore. Yeah, I was buzzing him. You know, there's a bit on him to play for them. Being in the academy, I see it now with my lads playing in the United Academy, Bob. It was just love every minute of it. You were an eye when you signed for everything. I've seen something that this is bizarre, that in the 95-96 season you scored 114 goals for the under-10s and under-11, which is just less than four goals a game. I can't remember. I used to keep it. I used to have a sheet on the fridge, so I'd keep all the games and what the score was and how many goals I scored. My mum's probably still got them, to be honest. I can't remember how many goals I scored, but I scored a few. Not when you were a dad, I don't know whether you necessarily think like this when you were a kid. I know you did a few years later, but did you just think I'm better than everyone at that level, or were you just playing the game and you were just scoring the goals or whatever? I knew I was a good player, but when I was like 11, 12, you never thought I'd be a professional player. You still were, and then you kept moving me up to age groups. I was playing with the older lads and I just kept improving early. I probably went until I was about 14, 14, 15, where I really kept on. Then I started thinking I'm going to play for them in the first team. Up until about 14, I knew I was a good player, but I never really thought about playing for the first team. You were a mascot when you were 11? I was actually, do you remember the game I got called off? It was that game, so I was waiting for ages. Then when it came around, I got called off, devastated, took off my bag, so I had to wait again. Then we drew one-one, had the speed code in the end, drew one-one, so it was a positive result. I was going to say that now, given that we didn't have many positive results around. That's not, that ain't actually a bad one, is it? Obviously for us as fans, there was always a buzz about you before going into the team. There was this kid in the academy waiting for you. You did it before like this. There's a good lad in the academy, but with you, there was something more. I think the first time I said to the other people going, oh my God, there's this kid, was talking to me in the FA youth cup. The two goals you scored that night at White Art Lane were unbelievable. The three kicked that, you didn't come back and you smashed it in. I like the other one where you just go and knock it in. I think that night everyone was like, oh my God, this kid is unbelievable. I think I played in the youth cup three times, three years. I played in it when I was 14, 15 and 16. The Tottenham game, the final against Villa, remember it was, you finished the game, the mwysig on it after the game. You get a couple of weeks rest, two or three weeks rest, and you did the pre-season with the first team. That was buzzing, so I went to Benidorm. I went off to Benidorm for a bit. I came back and then we flew out to France or Austria. France or Austria, it was, we flew out to do the pre-season. That was buzzing. I trained a couple of times for the first team, but I knew that was my chance and no-one was going to get me away. I was obviously playing with Duncan, players who are good with my hero and then I'm playing with them. It was mad, but I just wanted to take my chance and nothing was going to stop me. I went to Shaltam, it's not the end of the season before, and you were shub. I was fuming me. What was mad about that? Obviously, having had to get discipline, to take your hour of school and all that, it was there when you think about it. What was it like for you? Remember you warmed up, started warming up, and all of our inns stood up and were singing. We hadn't even seen you kick a ball in the first team when people were singing. What was that like for you? It was mad, obviously. I remember going to Gain, sitting next to Mad Hymbridge on the bus, and then he got me with us to the stadiums there, and he's there saying, how far away are we? I'm there like dead young, there's the stadium there. I'm with Dad and then I'm warmed up, and then we're winning the game. I'm thinking, if he would have put me on, I would have been the youngest player to ever play for everything at the time. I was fuming he didn't put me on. After that we had Blackburn, the last game of the season, and I got called up to under 17 euros with England. Devastated, I didn't want to go, because I would have played some part of the game with him. So I was devastated with that, and I went to the euros with England, and then started the pre-season, but to be on the bench and be rounder, it was mad. Remember, I told you this before, I was working the red end at the time, and we had Tottenham in the first game of the season, and you'd come up to the ticker off us with your mate, and you'd have no drop-on. You'd juggle in a ball, it was the Friday before the Tottenham game, and your mate was buying a ticket, and I'm looking and thinking, I'm going to be sat in the stand tomorrow, and all my hopes are pinned on you, and you're just there juggling a foothie with no drop-on. It was just so natural for you, it was just always up the ball. Always, always good. And you went back out after that space game and played foothie on the spot. Yeah, I used to always to, where Colleen lived, there's a lot of courtyards, garages, and stuff so after the games that you go down with your mate, and you're playing again, so it was normal there. Remember after the England game, after my debut in England, I'd done the same, I had a France track suit on, and we used to get the adidas foothie track suits, and she used to go there, and because I played for England, it went massive, and there was a photography picture of me, it was in the paper, so then people from the FA were saying, you can't wear a France track suit. So then there was all the small changes, which started to happen, which you don't know, you just want to play football, and then all the commercial stuff started happening on which, so obviously I was used to, and I didn't like it really. It was just the season and all that, and then you knew in the starting line when you become the second youngest, obviously you wanted to play, but you were the second youngest player to play for Everton. What was it like that day? Can you remember? Were you nervous? Yeah, I remember the day before we worked on the team, and when I was playing, and then Moisey said to me, don't tell anyone, I don't want the team to tell us. So I went straight home, and I was playing. It was my cousin's birthday party that night, so all my family were going to that. So I remember I went into the party and she said hello, and I went home, and then the morn of the game woke up and was watching, and it was just hanging around really, and I remember I went to McDonald's the morn of that game. That's when you don't know about food and whatever. I got a breakfast and had beans on toast about 12 o'clock, and then set off to go to the gym. And you had an assist, if you know what the best goal of the season you'd like to run for? Mark Pendridge. Yeah, it was mad actually when I was playing in Teddy Sherringham. I remember the day I got a corner and my friends were blocking me and I could see them laughing and I was like, who's this kid here? And then I'm snapping and calling them all kinds of things. And I could see them laughing. I could see them laughing. So it was it was the whole first few weeks. The biggest one was we played at Amfield and he was moving forward a little bit. And he put me on the bench and I couldn't call him he had went to snap. I remember snapping at Moisey. I think he, when you look back he must have been thinking I must have been horrible to manage because I just couldn't take it or I had anger issues and nobody left me on the bench I couldn't look through and I snapped and I looked at them and whatever. I went through again to Chris Kirkland and I had to meet him and he was in bit. I remember thinking I can't stay down and go up and then hit the crossbar after the game. I couldn't deal with getting left on the bench. I couldn't see all of them and I remember acting over by the end of the corner under mile an hour and he just bounced back up and then did nearly win it for us. But obviously he wanted your first goal and then wrecked him. We had wrecked him away and wrecked him when he was world famous because of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McHelleny. Wrecked him away and he did the league cup. I remember it again, just like a pace and I think you won't come to the window and you're getting tickets for the game and he was like you'll score and I was like you'll score tomorrow and he was like yeah you'll score and obviously... Everyone was like oh your first goal against Arsenal and the first Premier League goal but I'd scored twice before that in the cup but yeah that was just a score for everything it was massive and then the next thing was I wanted to score before I was 17 in the Premier League and obviously that came the week before. The truth was just what going back over the reaction goal and you ran on through it and struck there away and the second moment was the come the try mark little drop of the shoulder and slicker under the keeper and what was that like to score and we'll go back on to obviously the Arsenal game but what was it like getting off the mark for the first thing? Yeah it was just mad it's what you've dreamt of as a boy and to play for it and it was massive for me made family everyone at every game holding away and then to score was just surreal really it's hard to describe it's hard to put into words when you do that feeling you're getting the affection, the noise from the card and now obviously being from the pool being at the Tony and I know it's different when you're a local lad and you can feel that from the card more so than some of the foreign players there's a young local lad coming through and we've seen it obviously before me with Frani with different players and then after me with Tom Davis and Ross Barclay and stuff like that you can feel that load from the fans which you do Yeah I mean it was amazing just one thing just the one thing that the TCS there like once you've played well with directly a Frani Jeffers That was a Frani I was going to say I had to address that obviously I had to ask about that but remember that was in the U Cup game I was just fuming and that's why I understand it when I left the fans disappointed and angry and upset I was the exact same with Frani left that was aimed at Frani he was obviously from the same school as me he was from my area we'll move on but I didn't have to ask you about that because obviously I was actually awake I was in Florida and found out about something I had to get on the set I was over the set and like did you see doing these TCS and I was just like no because obviously it's not like now you'd have it wouldn't get interested in me it's just like oh that's right we've got this amazing player and he loves it so that's just life so obviously we get to the Arsenal game and me and Fred actually we had to do a little bit of a documentary for the Premier League about that game and about you actually we were talking about it what was mad at us obviously was so great and we were playing Arsenal a fantastic side I took the lead and got back into it and remember you put your arm with about 10 minutes left when you come on and remember a couple of the Arsenal players looking over to the benches who's this who's coming on because they let this as he was on remember watching the game obviously from the bench and warming up and then them watching the clock thinking he's going to bring me on he's going to bring me on were you a nightmare to manage now obviously being a manager I don't know how to manage myself now remember looking at the clock thinking he's going to bring me on and in my head I've already made my mind off when I get on any chance that I'm shooting that was already in my mind and obviously when balls were on the end I've seen their defence dropping off my eyes just lit up a new that was my opportunity and of course they're perfect obviously and it's on the top corner and then that was nuts that was still to this day on the best fields I've had just even when I've scored and ran over to the crowd and all the lad you can see all the players were buzzing and then after the game just in the dressing room you could say the crowd is still there so it was amazing that was the it's one of my best memories as a fan obviously we won the FA Cup in 1995 but that's one of my best memories it just felt like everyone was together that day you were thinking the goal sat in the main stand was unbelievable the noise was deafening the noise was never stopped and you nearly went to school and it was even better I would have said it was even better don't come and chip see when it lands on it would have sold it that way because I think everyone would have been in but it was unbelievable I remember and you're right after the game walking out the grand it was still goodness and over all that I think as a fan it was like we've got something special and he's one of us I think that was what it was it was it was madden you could see after the game I went to my mum and dad were in the western my family were in there and I went in just to say hello and then I left they left the game so I met them in there and you could see it the whole pub like a pride in the whole pub was just crazy the game was in there for a little bit and then I went out again with my mates we were just hanging around on the street so it was mad my mum was used to always trying to stop me doing it that's what you've done that's what got me there and it went to doing anything different and that was my time to that was when we met I think that that's obviously very rare I think that's all part of what makes you what makes you it is almost that I want to call it innocence without fairy stories about going to Manchester today when you were 12 and having a little bit of a dust up someone called you innocent but it is that thing of these are my mates I've got a photo of just that again and I'm going back with it I think it's players then after the game you go out or you go to town or go for food you do be gone there in times when you get beers and just on the street and have beers and that's just our growth as well and obviously I don't say it's right on whatever but that's just how we grew up and what we've done really so it's a part of the world it's a bit normal I mean obviously a lot of a lot of things changed I feel after that goal as well I mean obviously you're awareness everyone's aware then I think when you get some nice stuff about you like I said we were we were obviously made up that season obviously we get there was that goal and then went through Elin Road I think it was two weeks later in fact your dad was stood in front of me sat in front of me there and we obviously had another mum there for 50 or 51 years and you come off the bench and send Lucas to be the chief and slot it in and that end again was amazing pity review in midair and everyone like you know we win the game on Elin's unbelievable it was mad on that it was and you see where fans have come onto the pitch so it was about a seven minute on the pitch so I remember after I scored and then you ran on so as with all that I realised there's one we made today there's one we made today so it was a good pitch so yeah it was again just it meant everything every game, every goal meant everything and that's what you get when you get a young local lad who's playing football and that's how it should be it means everything to play for everything, score for everything is different it means it's what you feel with it's a party of life and to be able to do it and obviously the two years were first was incredible really it was just like luck on last night of the first season and the thing that I totally forgot was you won BBC Sports personality the year in the December which was obviously Sports personality the year, I think it's still going isn't it no lad, but the fact that you won it already was that a bit of a madlon as well it's weird I'm not going to get a suit mwysi cwm da mi and clean went out and bought a dress remember the time we had obviously I literally just started getting paid I think professional money or I don't even know if I'm going to say it's just before you've seen it but I don't even know that so didn't have money on it so clean bought all the money off the mum and dad to buy a dress to go down to it with me and then mwysi cwm da I said could she wear an 18 so because we were staying overnight in the hotels we would never go so she was feeling with dad and then I remember wearing a suit and I think the shirt was a bit tight on me next so I left the top up and I'm done I had chewing gum and just didn't think it was wrong and I remember the next day I was getting battered and I was thinking what's going on here all stuff like that I would just I'm just footballing I mean the gold the week later the winner against black may I'm just going to go ahead of the past and I'm just slaughtered in and you've been that to you on and you got on to it again like we were looking to you and it's probably wrong because you were 17 but for us you were that good and I've seen this thing said before that you knew you were the best player but for you like how was that mad cos obviously you coming through the academy you're doing very well and then you're doing brilliant in the youth cup and then David Moyer's saying oh yeah we're going to come and train in Russia and so you're still looking at some of them players thinking I want to be there the next minute you're the best it's mad how quick it changed did it yeah so like for me to go in with with Duncan or Steve Stubbsy all of them who have grew up watching him Mark Pembridge sometimes you know to then go and play with them train with them every day and play with them and then so quickly I remember thinking he's a crap no and obviously not all of them but some of the players were thinking God what's going on here and then just thinking me need to shine players I mean better players I remember thinking I think that's the funk on that area as well where I couldn't believe how bad some of them were and I remember thinking I'm better than all these players and that's not a disrespect to them players but some of them just weren't good enough and should never have played for them you're only going to prove you were better than all of them anyway what you've done in your career but at that time was that a mad thing to do was it just because in training it wasn't easy for you it wasn't easy but I remember thinking thinking the step up would be would be harder and and then I think quite quickly quite a few a lot of players in this room would then intimidate by me because I was out going I was cheeky and then you could see they were being intimidated and then I was getting in close with Duncan and Stubbsy as well so I know certainly Moise didn't like the fact that I was close with Duncan Moise, I mean I'm not going in today with Moise too much but it seems a bit of a deal there was issues and there was bits where there was bits where I felt setting just as a fan in a part of it where a lot of us were like just like holding them back and we wanted more and we can come back on to that but I'm not sure about Darren and even the game we beat West Brom one of the things that stood out to me and I think I've said this on this loads of times about football now and I still talk about it now because even when I watch players now in the Premier League I still think some of them don't have it but I remember you telling like Kevin Campbell to take the ball to the corner flag in one of the games and he's disrespected to Keb but he's like a 33 year old and you're a 16 year old kid telling them what to do but even in that game you've stood on the ball in front of Darren More and he's tried to well hear me as a kid I mean and he come out and said he won't get far if he does that and that's like and I say it now to my players at Dabi obviously at DC United now I say to my players you need to play with elegance I think it's and that's not being disrespectful to the opposition but you can play with elegance and a confidence which brings more area and you see with all the top teams you can see that even when you see Man City safe instance where they're playing far to Burner and Rotary playing far to Sick Passers to each other and walking with the ball that's elegance which you need to have that belief and confidence and that's what I add when I was obviously younger and funny story actually we played West Brom at Man United a few years later and Darren More played, it was hard time and walking down Tony's chase me because I've seen him going up your army and he looked and thinking oh no there you go but he come up and I don't know where he comes up and said I forgive you and ran off and it would be but yeah it's just a belief and a confidence for us it was unbelievable because we're seeing you doing that and we win again, it was brilliant you're talking about that the anger and things like that and you got your first record on Boxing Day at Birmingham City so Steve Ficker you left one you had a naughty close as well all those 15 stitches where did that come from frustration yeah I had a bad touch I think it was it's gone too far I've just started to win the ball back did you try to win the ball over you I've lunged but I've tried to win it and again being a young lad and obviously playing with men I used to have him here I need to protect myself and so any tackle I'd go in and sometimes it was a bit wild and whatever but yeah it was a bad tackle did you have the red that's fair play if you did your own and nothing saying you did your own I didn't think so at the time no of course obviously you're very strong you're fair pro-contract and we surprised it obviously we had Tony Ibuffith for a bit of moral support there without being disrespectful to Tony I don't think anyone wanted to ask him a question it was all about you but we surprised that one how much interest there was in that contract signing and two because you got some criticism after that which I thought was bizarre because you were a 17 year old not long 17 year old lad that had been dragged out in front of the press and a bit biased because obviously we wanted to say look we've signed we've got them to sign pro-contract how did you find all of that yeah and again that's the thing when you're young you just want to play football and then all the interviews and commercial stuff I weren't comfortable at all and I remember the press conference had a big bottle of water I was just picked it up and started thinking of the bottle and so yeah I wasn't used to speaking in front of cameras at the time and doing interviews so when you look back now you can laugh at it but yeah I weren't comfortable it wasn't like that at the pub as well it had about five pints it was and then he went he obviously brought him just as a he'd not long signed he'd settled the end he had about five pints before and didn't know and just got told you've got to come and do this sat there and didn't get asked a question incredible incredible and you signed a contract in January but then you didn't score till Arsenal away in the match but again it was another brilliant goal and again I mean was there ever a goal you scored and you were just happy to score because you score it was an unbelievable goal of Arsenal brilliant goal bottom corner you take your top off throw your shades on the floor like you've got a big hub on again because surely that feeling of scoring for Everton is incredible it's that's just your emotion coming out when you scored it's you work so hard to try and score and when it happens it's just a release a release of everything really so of course I was happy but yeah you're right I remember one of Charles the same angry you know all of them I look angry but I'm just I don't know just prior to that Arsenal game you'd obviously made your England debut and then the England game I remember was the techy game at the stadium of Everton and so without like fanboy into it like you know that feeling of like pure pride of like you let the line at night at Summerland and it was the performance was unbelievable and it was like he's ours and it was it does sound mad to say but it is that like I'm sure you've had that as like in Everton and the pride is there of like it's one of ours and look how good it is and you've had tremendous that night against the city yeah that was obviously my first start and just played the game and felt at home in England felt at that level and felt to play well in the game and so yeah it was a proud moment but obviously I was gutted into it and I had a couple of chances and gutted into the score but it was not a play well it was too fair he obviously finished that season he finished the season with 8 goals 37 games all in and obviously a lot of the subs and stuff like that so that's a really good to be made up with a goal score like that at the moment and then we come back obviously for the next season and your first goal of the season was the angry celebration at Sharton with the full the full skinhead he'd already unveiled the skinhead a crew in a friendly and it was like this has been big, this has been big but yeah I mean that goal at Sharton the first thoughts was fantastic I loved that goal still one of my favourite goals and the touching and and again the celebration obviously all the emotions coming out pure angry and I remember there was a we played Bolton away I think in something like the October and you'd gone to do have faith in something in Spain there was a bit of a there was a little bit of like thingy about it it was like should he gone and done it and all that and we got beat on and the boys took it off early on to the second half and like we were feeling and you walked off and wellied the bottle of water and sat down and there was all of that because you were becoming a bigger a bigger commodity without being that's what people were looking at were you feeling that those things were beginning to change for you not that you were outgrowing I wouldn't say outgrowing but just with things moving really quick for you off the pitch or not really I think after I played for England then obviously I had time with Nike as well and so commercial there was like a bit of TV I've had and stuff you do but never really, never gone in the way of new football I didn't mean it like that so yeah and obviously a player who wants to play the games to get some dark holding start then I'll be you'd have a shoulder to be fair but yeah now so I was there was different things which were coming and the things which I wouldn't have done like I don't have fashion shoes okay magazine and suits and jackets jeans and jackets and stuff like look back now I don't think what I'm doing but then the things you're doing I don't mind as young as which you just like I suppose at that time for you people are giving you all that stuff and it's like you think you should do that you've got to build your profile yeah but you don't look convinced no I'm not I'm a track suit and whatever but yeah and you I remember after that I've done it I've never done that didn't like it 10 outfit changes I'm not doing that again moving forward we've got this goal here on here which was a goal you scored a posment in the 2-1 win the armour again angry celebration yeah it was a good game I was remember that when I pushed the stone over I don't know if I was on it or got it and he's obviously used his experience and stayed down I think you'd already been booked because I remember I think I was lucky not to be on the card you were going on above the red card and scored a home less than a 3-2 win and a 1-0 win against Birmingham as well and going through into the the new year you scored two with Charles Hanson the first time you scored two in a Premier League in a game we were 3-1 open and I remember that shocker shattered that didn't go on to Charles Hanson winning 3-1 with the radio shocker shattered and biting my nails getting in towards the end of the game we were like everyone I've got this one and then the next minute they get one back and they end up equalising and it's a 3-3 draw and obviously we weren't doing brilliant but that day we scored two very good goals that day as well I think Doug scored as well but you know feel good? Yeah every goal and then you once you're on two then in your head all you're thinking is can you get a hat-trick so I didn't know when I went back to him but when you're on two goals that's constantly in your mind can you get a hat-trick and that would have been incredible really but yeah no it's always great when you're frustrated as you said at the end of the game and win the game so it almost takes away from your goals I was going to say you know the character that you're at was that? Yeah when you score if it's not to win the game or get a lead point or whatever it does take away Take the shine off it Some of the buzz you get after the game when you've scored I remember once I was at Baldy I remember when we'd be paused at the fans of Shabley cos they'd been giving me some stuff was that a conscious thing cos you had a natural thing but it'd been just a blunt to the gladus leaf you ended up legging it I remember I remember doing it but it must have been giving me some I remember one cos obviously my relationship with Moisey was a bit it was one I can't remember what game it was Lester I scored in the last minute and he went towards the end of the game I ran in my family room with one of the boxes so I ran towards the bench and Moisey's come out of high five he just blagged it I remember looking back laughing after this but I ran off to see my family but sometimes the fans are giving you a bit a tattoo all the back I'm going to ration about that so just pause and we'll have a little chat I didn't mention sorry the season before I remember you left out of volley against Villa around the last minute and it looked like we might get into your cos we were just poor at one we lost, I think you were injured for a cup we had no forwards and we ended up just missing out I think we had to be united on the last day to get in in that game I'm planning tonight speaking to Leo before the game and they won the league I remember saying take it easy whatever and you could see they went really they went and had it we took the lead as well it changed when Tommy Graverson he volleyed John O'Shea and you could see them you could see them switch on up to five or ten percent and obviously we lost the game I scored a three kicker we versed it but I remember Tommy he was saying to me, what are you doing? there's no navel in it and then that switched them on and then we went on I was so frustrated just back moving forward again we were talking off camera before but Leicester away don't got centre off and do you want to mention the captain's handband story? fan i ddunk went off and he took the handband off and gave it to me so remember thinking about putting it on so I put it on and remember going in a half time he was absolutely tearing me apart tearing him over so I can't remember giving it to Stubbsy or whoever it was just taking it off nicely and pass it to him no I remember thinking it was never a fan of grew up to put the handband on you have it so it was on but it was and then come out and obviously scored a great goal I thought it looked like we'd won we'd got right the way through and they got about six corners at the end on the mark of Spence literally the last kicker the worst ones I can see it later on it's a horrible feeling I thought you'd just done enough and then your last goal in your first spell was at Leeds again followed another good goal and I think it didn't change my own score in that one as well it did with me it became the younger score it didn't act like your it was that game wasn't it it was that game your goal was a crack I used to like going to Leeds I don't know there's some stadiums which you like going to it was there on White Hat Lane I used to like going to as well you can feel it the football fans at Leeds you can feel the passion of Carl we had two good results with you there we hadn't had other times but we were alright while you were playing and obviously you come to the end of the season and it was all there was obviously stories about a new contract for you trying to try them down cos I remember reading something right at the end of the season it was and I don't know whether you directly said it but there was a thing of I want to be the captain of this club so I don't know whether someone had the conversation or I remember reading that I wonder if you're going to be captain next year and obviously we finished the season brilliant and then obviously you go the Euros but before you went the Euros was there any kind of indication you were going to leave the football club not from my point of view to be honest ideally I probably would have liked to have stayed in the year probably and see where where we went from there but remember before when the season finished and the club had tried to deal with Chelsea for me without me knowing but when I found out I was fuming I was like why did you try to sell me and obviously they needed money financially they were in a great place at the time but then I remember speaking with me and saying well if they're going to sell me I'm going to control where I go if they don't want to go to Chelsea but that's the case but then if they want to know they were trying to sell me then it was okay I went to Barbados after the Euros broke me forth come back they wouldn't let me train everyone let me train in case I got injured and they wouldn't be able to sell me so remember I was there I was ready to run and they wouldn't let me do it so yeah I think obviously I've left a lot of a lot of crap over there over leaving but I don't think the club were too innocent as well at the time no I know I'll just leave I'll go back to that now but the Euros we will trouble because you went the Euros and you were unbelievable in the Euros and I think everyone thought England were going to win it you just seem to show a home on that stage it was almost easy for you but you were very comfortable playing in that did you have to feel in England on that? Unstoppable, I'm being honest at the time I still think to this day if I didn't get injured you would have won it so it was my feeling going to the Euros seeing the fans and the atmosphere some of these superstars and then playing with them and the difference in quality to what obviously I used to have and made it easier for you I felt like I fitted into that environment so yeah it was unfortunately obviously got injured and we went out but not a lot of the Euros I think that's the closest they come to winning something with that winning inside you played in Dan obviously the World Cup two years later we went out to court fans on penalty twice You didn't stay on the pitch I don't think that was a red card I don't know if I've meant it or not but I still don't think it's a red card But wasn't that the trauma that you were injured anyway? Yeah and she didn't document it and she came out and kicked the ball and she cried No How can you play football with that red groin? I've always been able to play through injuries and I've pulled my calves and groin and thigh I played When I went out to the MLS I played for six months with a big tear in my thigh so I have painkillers and get on with it so I've always been able to get through it but yeah so it's not so much the game actually it's more before and after the game it's in agony but yeah so back to the euros obviously the injury and it was just the worst the Chelsea story broke while you were away actually it was like 50 million to Chelsea and they were like no way are we selling to you they only play if you can sell kind of thing but it goes on and on and on and then for you it was just that realisation that far down the line with Chelsea they actually they were speaking to Chelsea about me signing for Chelsea and then Chelsea were going to send me on loan to MLS with you so that's how far down the line was without me even knowing why couldn't you sing it on loan to Evans? so yeah but yeah and then it got to a point where it was going to happen I was going to leave and the club were obviously to protect themselves they made me put the transfer I was requesting them which I said ok that's what's going to take now for me to leave so that's why I don't have a way comfortable doing it but that was the only way there was going to happen did you were you surprised by the steak you got? no I was expecting it so I knew it was a massive decision obviously everything in my life going up and loved everything about the club so for me to leave I knew what the reaction was going to be and I get it that's normal as I said before I was the same with Franny so I was I embraced myself for it I knew what was going on I knew I would have to because obviously Manchester's not far but I knew what it had to go and live there and live in a city for a bit and what you did and it was a big decision from my point of view and a risk as well from my side it was a scouset for me to leave for Manchester if it didn't work out it was a big risk as well so it was a hard decision it was horrible it was horrible I remember sitting down with my dad and he told me to leave so of course it was it was horrible the realisation that I was going to be leaving the club to go up support and come to the academy and go to the love that I was going to be leaving but the circumstances of everything meant I had no option I remember you sitting in the press conference at Old Trafford and saying that I had a mother being tired of the league I wouldn't be sat here today there weren't so much that actually it was more the other stuff we haven't wanted to show me it was more that I was trying to I wouldn't look silly if I come out and start playing and do everything and when I ultimately in the end I've left so I didn't really want to go that way with it it's still difficult though for you 18 years of age it's a lot to take on your shoulders you know you come back and you play I mean what festival for a guarantee of the other into them was it hard coming back to play was it horrible yet and I'm filled to be fair it got to a point where Fergie said to me he's never playing me never playing it so I'm filled again I got too emotional and it was just like everything walking into the stadium everything like it was weird and I very rarely play well when I come back I used to get wound up by the fans and different things and I didn't like it 2007 we're winning 2-0 and absolutely cruising to be fair it was one of the most comfortable games against United it was unbelievable and then it very quickly changed it kind of goes on and you score a goal and then you kissed a batch which is I mean that's the ultimate like smacking the face for everything and that was again it's just a reaction to as you know you're probably one of them when Everton and I were they were on me he was constantly it's just a reaction of course I love Everton you know we'll always be my club and we'll follow and the kids follow and stuff but it's just a reaction remember after I think you had no wife it's like it just happens again I don't say anything red card in the world cup it just happens and then you don't even know what's happening then it happens and you think you have no wife and that's just again an emotion coming out and that seemed to happen a lot with me especially when I was younger I do things out of emotion spontaneous where it just happens and then it's almost like your mind goes blank for a few seconds and it happens off you go and then I think what happened was it might have been Alex Ferguson not playing your record or whatever but there was definitely like a softening over I think I remember the FAQ fan I remember the FAQ fan and the people you were saying I don't want evidence to win and there was almost like and it was not, it was natural because you never thrown and you weren't saying it just for effect but there was definitely a softening and I remember when we beat United 3-1 to Yachrodd Willsgwrd, Gosling and I remember you played in that you come towards the street end and you try to cross or something and then it came out at the start there wasn't loads of boo and it did feel like everyone was just kind of moving on with it maybe because everyone was getting better as well and that softening had started to take place and then there was a couple of rumours that in like 2012-2013 when you were still unbelievable for United but things were changing it was like everyone on back and they might be able to get on back and all that and once people started getting their head round and then we moved on to Duncan's there was a lot of us Wayne's going to play, Wayne's going to play was that a difficult decision to come and play in that? No and you'd have highs and lows don't you and for me to come back and play for everything and and put the blue kids on again it was it was mad and I couldn't wait to be honest and then there was things obviously I've been through a few games once I've had kids I always wanted to come back and play for everything I wanted me kids to see me play for everything and then obviously the FA Cup final there was a few things they beat United they haven't beaten United in the semis and then I remember the hardest game I've played in the semi-final was it yeah a few years later in the FA Cup that's 2016 and winning that I remember my shell scored late on and I didn't celebrate my family in the stands crying so that was the hardest game I've played in that was mad at one because I was obviously there I shouldn't have won the game I normally look at it but one of the days where he just didn't say miss the penalty miss chances he would have won off the line early on so that's what you should have there you just let go in and there's literally the last kicker of the game on at Marshall scored honestly it was horrible to win the game and go to an FA Cup final you should be buzzing and I remember the feeling last day was like I just didn't enjoy it or didn't like it and my cousins just standing crying as I was out because I haven't gone through it there's a way of feeling I think then I knew that over the last couple of years at Man United I spoke to the club a few times and we were trying to get something done when we were coming back and obviously eventually I did to come back but I've always felt I think you're probably right about 2012 where I felt I'd love to go back I suppose just like look because we were obviously much better then we were like top five, top six and it didn't feel like such a threat where a few years earlier it was like he's been miles too good for us and I'm not saying at that time you were still at your peak and United were still amazing but it just sort of felt like we might get a chance but I guess finance isn't everything it was difficult to get back I remember thinking that over the last couple of years before I come back spoke to the club a couple of times and then Cumin coming in I remember going to meet Cumin at his house and then Yedro laughing and then Cwyrdyn so that was mad but I was buzzing So there you go, that's the story of our way left Everton de Faesan so here how we rejoined the club, make sure you catch part two of our exclusive Wayne Mooney interview I was signing, officially signing the next day but I had everything done the night before and remember I spoke to Jags and he put me into the lad WhatsApp group on my WhatsApp he comes up with Jimmy everyone was like because I'm Jimmy he comes up with Jimmy so I put a message in I can't remember just saying tight with everyone and whatever I say, mess one them up some shameless is having a go with me so the next day I've got in I'm getting food next to shameless so I said to I said, the hash just saying you're having a go with me already he was devastated he was like was that really you he thought he was seeing me call me but then I was buzzing to be back and I couldn't wait to get going really and started