Wayne Rooney has revealed how he decided at an early age that Everton was the club for him, despite interest from Liverpool. The 17-year-old Everton star said: “I actually had a trial for Liverpool. I was playing for Copplehouse under-nines at the time and after the game I was approached by a Liverpool scout who invited me to Melwood (Liverpool's training ground).
“I went along but after going there just once I got a phone call from Everton scout Bob Pendleton who asked me to go to Everton. It was the call I had desperately wanted and that was it for me. I gave Liverpool the swerve after that.”
The striker also revealed on Everton's official website, www.evertonfc.com, how David Beckham and Sven-Goran Eriksson went out of their way to calm his nerves about joining up with the England squad. Rooney is tipped to start alongside Michael Owen in England's Euro 2004 qualifier against Slovakia at Middlesbrough tomorrow. But the Everton striker admitted he was worried what the experienced England regulars would make of him when he was first called up by national chief Eriksson.
Rooney said: “I was nervous about meeting them all, I wondered what they would think of me. But David Beckham spoke to me and gave me some good advice which was very much appreciated. He's a big, big name. And Sven helped me a lot to be fair, he pulled me to one side and had a little chat with me, which put me at ease.
Rooney admits that the Liverpool players have also been a big help to him settling into the England set-up. He added: “Steven Gerrard has become a good friend off the pitch and the Liverpool lads are also great. I speak to them and Franny Jeffers (his former Everton colleague, now at Arsenal) more than anyone.”
Filed by Johnny Proby
