Rooney’s former club are also enjoying a resurgence, with a 4-2 win over Brighton making it three on the trot and lifting them up to sixth place – level on points with Manchester City and one clear of Liverpool.
Part of that success has been down to the form of forward Bryan Mbeumo, who has scored three of his five goals in the last two games.
Rooney admitted he was not convinced when United brought him to the club in the summer for £65m from Brentford, but said the 26-year-old Cameroon international is now living up to expectations.
“His energy, his work-rate, his desire, is what you need to be a United player. I did say that I was a little bit unsure, but I think what he’s shown is he belongs there,” added Rooney.
“He’s been consistent with his performances, I think that’s the main thing. If you’re consistently getting into the right positions, and getting chances, you will score 20 goals a season.”
COLEEN Rooney has taken a fresh swipe at her ex-pal Rebekah Vardy as she uses their Wagatha Christie row to cash in – AGAIN.
Wayne’s wife was famously embroiled in a six-year fight with fellow WAG Rebekah when Coleen turned detective and accused Rebekah of leaking stories from her personal Instagram account.
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Coleen Rooney winks after new dig at Rebekah VardyCredit: Paddy PowerShe does her famous detective work for Danny Dyer in a new Paddy Power advertGemma Collins appears in the ad with her own iconic catchphraseCredit: Paddy Power
In the infamous post, Coleen dramatically announced to the world: “It’s . . . Rebekah Vardy’s account.”
The iconic catchphrase was today used in a new TV advert for Paddy Power starring Coleen and other famous faces including Danny Dyer, Peter Crouch and Gemma Collings.
Cockney EastEnders legend Danny stars as a casino kingpin who flips out when he spots a prosecco glass on his blackjack table, shouting: “Which melt has left their drink on my felt?”
And in a nod to Coleen’s super sleuth skills, he gets a text from Coleen, which says: “It’s… Gemma Collins.”
She then winks at the camera after being described by Danny as a “silent assassin”.
A TV insider told The Sun: “Even after all these years, people are obsessed with the Wagatha Christie case and Coleen’s detective work.
“The whole ordeal was a nightmare for Coleen at the time but she’s since made a lot of money from the experience and is happy to capitalise on it.
“Paddy Power is renowned for its hilarious media campaigns and this is yet another example.”
The advert for Paddy Power Games follows 39-year-old Coleen’s previous Wagatha Christie jab when she was announced as the investigator of Man City’s Financial Fair Play case in an hilarious sketch.
Coleen Rooney said: “I’ve been watching the same game almost my entire life, so it’s nice to have a bit of variety for once, and being back with the Paddy Power crew to film such a glamourous ad was brilliant.
“I loved getting dressed up and stepping into the madness of a Paddy Power casino world – Danny played the role of casino boss perfectly, plus I got to reprise my role as head of investigations….what more could you want!”
Rebekah – who’s married to Jamie Vardy – brought a multi-million pound case to court after Coleen publicly accused her of leaking to the press in October 2019.
WITH research revealing that a quarter of Brits (26%) admit to dating someone because of their moustache perhaps there’s more to Danny Dyer’s debonair charm than meets the eye.
Commissioned by Paddy Power Games, the study has confirmed what women have known for decades – there’s something irresistible about a man with a moustache.
What’s more, when asked to rank the sexiest famous taches, Danny Dyer outranked both Harry Styles and Paul Mescal:
It’s a bit of a mad one with Wayne this episode that includes Liverpool v Man Utd chat, his birthday weekend, opinions on England and Marcus Rashford, and meet-ups with 50 Cent and Ed Sheeran.
Wayne takes us inside his 40th birthday bash, but who did he dress up as? Which songs did he belt out on karaoke? And who ended up with a nasty injury?
Musician and Liverpool fan Jamie Webster joins Wayne, Kelly and Kae to discuss why their rivalry with Manchester United is the biggest in English football. But who is this match more important for: Arne Slot or Ruben Amorim?
Jamie’s appearance on the show leads to a number of musical revelations from Wayne: how did he end up on stage with 50 Cent? And Why did Coleen have to step in when he tried to change an Ed Sheeran song?
Wayne gives his thoughts on England’s World Cup qualification and explains why he’s pleased the players are less certain of their places under Thomas Tuchel. He also has strong words for Marcus Rashford’s recent comments about the “inconsistent environment” at Old Trafford not helping his form.
Meanwhile, we discover what led Wayne and Jermain Defoe to watch his entire wedding DVD together while they were away at the 2010 World Cup and what was Wayne gutted to find out on the last day at Glastonbury?
You can watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport YouTube, iPlayer, as well as listen on BBC Sounds.
He continued: “What you have now is [rival teams’] players training [together] before they go back to pre-season together – Phil Foden and Marcus Rashford for instance.
“It’s a different generation. The big thing is the media coverage of it is much better. The players get on better with the media. From the outside that gives a better feeling.”
Gerrard, speaking as a guest on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, said several former Manchester United and Liverpool players get on better now as pundits than they ever did as England team-mates.
“I didn’t feel part of a team. I didn’t feel connected with my team-mates, with England,” he said.
In response, Rooney said: “It [was] difficult to have that relationship with Liverpool and Man Utd players. It’s easier now.
“I speak to Steven all the time 1760074340. You can have better relationships now because you can have a beer together and relax more.
“I was fine with everyone, I got on with everyone. I was aware Becks [David Beckham] and Gary Neville and Scholesy [Paul Scholes], you could see they weren’t going to be close to the Liverpool players.
“But one thing for sure is everyone worked hard for each other. I don’t think that was an issue. We just didn’t manage to get over the line. I didn’t see that at all.”
Rooney, like Gerrard, played in six major tournaments for England but only reached quarter-finals.
But he said the players always “100%” “believed we could win for sure”.
Wayne Rooney, Kelly Somers, Kae Kurd and John Gibbons from The Anfield Wrap discuss Liverpool’s loss of form, and why their talisman Mohamed Salah looks “lost”.
Deontay Wilder’s former boxing coach and Kate Abdo’s husband Malik Scott suggested the ideaCredit: Getty
“Any time boxing gets more attention, it’s a good thing. I want people to enjoy the spectacle, not just critique it.
“Just enjoy the carnival. It would be a global event because these are high-level names that would draw huge numbers.”
Scott is no stranger to the world of football, having married fan-favourite CBS sports broadcaster Kate Abdo in September last year.
His prospective competitors were iconic teammates at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson, making over 200 appearances together.
Their relationship was believed to have turned cold following Ronaldo‘s protests to the referee earning Rooney a red card in a 2006 World Cup quarter final, which Portugal would go on to win on penalties.
He also made headlines for his comments on the heated Messi vs Ronaldo debate, backing the Argentinian over his former teammate.
Kenny is himself set to face former Prem footballer Curtis Davies at a charity event next month, and is keen to keep the ball rolling on his new boxing escapades.
Rooney was 21 when he helped carry Hatton’s championship belts into the ring alongside legendary Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera before the Castillo fight.
“It was one of the most nervous I have ever been,” said Rooney.
“I was in the pool all day in Vegas, it was hot, and my face got a bit burnt, but then I remember standing in the dressing room and being nervous.
“He hadn’t lost at that time. I was thinking, ‘He does not lose tonight. Is it on you? Is it your fault?'”
Hatton went on to retain his IBO light welterweight crown with a stunning fourth-round knockout.
Rooney said they went to a beach party afterwards with family and had “a great day”.
He added: “So often you see any type of celebrity who are not really relatable, but Ricky was certainly relatable and good fun to be around.”
Wayne Rooney responds to recent online comments from former England team-mate Michael Owen about which striker was a more prodigious talent as a teenager.
MICHAEL OWEN has launched a passionate defence of his own career after being compared to Wayne Rooney on social media.
Owen, 45, has made sure everybody remembers just how good he was in his youth, replying to a question over who was better at 17 between Rooney and the former Real Madrid man.
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Michael Owen launched a passionate defence of his own career after being compared to Wayne Rooney on social mediaCredit: Getty
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Wayne Rooney broke onto the scene as a teenager much like OwenCredit: Getty
Fans online have been debating the topic of which breakthrough teenager was the better player, given that both Owen and Rooney burst on to the scene and impressed at such young ages.
But in reply to a post asking who was better aged 17, Owen laid out the facts as to why he thinks his early years trump Wazza’s.
He wrote on X: “At 17 I scored 18 PL goals (winning the Golden Boot), Wazza scored 6.
“At 18, I again scored 18 goals (again winning the Golden Boot and coming 4th in The Ballon d’Or), Wazza scored 9.
“In our opening 7 seasons, Wazza didn’t outscore me once (117 goals v 80). In which time I became the 2nd youngest Ballon d’Or winner ever.
“Injuries hindered me from then on while he sustained his level.
“Therefore, he’ll go down as a better player than me. But, at 17, please…”
Owen won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 – the last Brit to lift the prestigious individual award.
While he twice won the Premier League Golden Boot as a teenager, doing it at 18 and 19 years of age to become the youngest ever recipient of the award.
Despite Owen’s claims of scoring 18 goals in the Premier League aged 17, he had actually only bagged five league goals before his 18th birthday.
Michael Owen reveals he didn’t know what Ballon d’Or was when he won it and had to ask manager about it
He went on to score a total of 18 during the 1996/97 season, subsequently winning his first Golden Boot, but scored 13 of those goals after his 18th birthday.
His later career tailed off, with injuries meaning Owen ended his playing days with a total of 223 goals in 483 appearances.
Rooney, on the other hand, notched 313 goals in 764 appearances.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast, Owen explained: “People will have only seen me or remember me in the later years when I’m getting worse and worse and worse and worse and worse.
“The agony for me is that nobody remembers. Only a few people remember what I was like when I was ten and 12 and 15 and 18 and maybe up to 22.
“I was past it and on the way down by 21 or whatever.
“That’s the agony because was there another 18-year-old that was anywhere near me at 18? I was light years clear of anything in my age group, anything in England.
“You can bring the next kid and the next kid and the next kid and the next one that scores ten goals and everybody’s like: ‘Oh, it’s the next Michael Owen’.
“But I was competing against great strikers. Now there’s like four, five good strikers in the Premier League.”
Rooney vs Owen before they turned 18
Here’s a look at how Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney’s careers looked before their 18th birthdays…
The challenge for Dowman is to remain grounded as his profile grows and the excitement over his potential builds.
“For Max and his family and friends, I’m sure they’re all living in a dream and a fairy tale and it probably hasn’t hit home yet,” Rooney said. “But you can see his future is so bright, he is going to have a massive future.
“Everyone you speak to in football, the same name keeps coming back: Max Dowman.
“It’s difficult for anyone. I think the first thing you’ve got to do is just stay around your family and close friends.
“Listen to them because there are going to be people out there who are trying to be your friend or trying to get in touch with you – some for good reasons, some for not so good reasons.
“You just have to make sure the people who are closer to you, you stay around them and listen to their advice rather than outsiders.”
As well as stepping up on the pitch, Rooney says there are also adjustments off it for a young player breaking into the first team.
“It’s surreal. It’s so strange that one minute you’re in the youth team and the next you’re in the first-team dressing room with some of your heroes,” Rooney said.
“For me, it was some of my heroes growing up, then we’re training, we’re playing, we’re becoming friends.
“I was around at Duncan Ferguson’s house. He lived on the same road as me, and I’m just chilling with him and Alan Stubbs. And you’re like, ‘what is going on here?’.
“It’s something you really need to get used to quickly because it can be overwhelming.
“Max Dowman looks like a very level-headed lad from everything I’ve seen and you hope he manages to deal with it and understands what’s coming his way very soon.”
Rooney’s main words of advice for Dowman come from the heart.
“Enjoy it. I’m sure we’re going to see so much of him, so much of his talent and goals and assists, whatever,” he said.
“Alan Stubbs always said to me years ago, ‘make sure you enjoy it because it goes very quickly’.
“When you’re young, you don’t think that or you sometimes forget that, but enjoy it and make the most of it.”
