Wayne Rooney admits he wanted to join Manchester United from Everton because of Liverpool

Wayne Rooney has revealed Liverpool’s previously unseen role in his move to Manchester United in 2004.

The former England international joined the Red Devils from Everton in a deal worth up to £27m, after exploding onto the global stage with the Three Lions at Euro 2004.

A boyhood Blues fan, the striker burst into the Everton first team in 2002 after coming through their youth academy, and scored 17 goals from 77 appearances during his first stint at Goodison Park prior to his switch to Old Trafford.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp filmed at 5am as Liverpool boss kept promise made at lowest ebb

READ MORE: I presume Mohamed Salah will leave Liverpool - it makes no sense to announce Arne Slot now

Newcastle United were also interested in Rooney at the time, but he’s admitted his heart was set on moving to Manchester United instead.

And he has admitted that Liverpool’s status as both Everton and Manchester United’s bitter-rivals helped motivate his decision, with the lure of the Red Devils partly so strong due to their superiority over the Reds during the 90s.

“I was growing up in the nineties watching Manchester United, like in awe of what I was seeing,” he admitted on The Overlap's Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by SkyBet. “And obviously being an Everton fan, we weren’t really going to win anything.

“So my best way of having a go at Liverpool fans was Man United winning. I grew up watching them.

“Then the minute I knew Manchester United were interested in signing me, I was like that’s the only place I’m going.”

Rooney would go on to become a Man United legend, scoring 253 goals from 559 appearances over 13 seasons, winning five Premier League titles, the Champions League, three League Cups, an FA Cup, the FIFA Club World Cup and the Europa League, before returning to Everton in 2017.

Meanwhile, he scored seven times from 30 meetings with Liverpool throughout his career, emerging victorious on 13 occasions.