Wayne Rooney has rejoined Everton on a free transfer from Manchester United, as the striker returns home to his boyhood club 13 years after leaving them.
The 31-year-old said he was ecstatic after signing a two-year deal with the club he grew up supporting and first joined as a nine-year-old before progressing to their first team.
Everton confirmed the free transfer – which is worth around £150,000-a-week – with a short teaser video entitled ‘welcome home Wayne’ as Rooney sealed an emotional return to Merseyside.
Back in blue: Wayne Rooney has re-joined his boyhood club from Manchester United
Rooney spoke of his excitement at the move saying: ‘(Winning trophies with Everton) would be the pinnacle. I really feel now the club is moving in the right direction, bringing the right calibre of players in. I want to be part of it and hopefully part of a successful Everton team.
‘It’s a great feeling to be back. I’m excited, I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play. I’m ecstatic – I just cannot wait to get back playing.
‘I’m excited, and I’m excited by the signings that the Club have made. This club is moving forward. This football club should be winning trophies and we’re taking huge steps to being involved and trying to win trophies.
Rooney said the first game back will be an emotional day and that he was looking forward to it.
Wayne Rooney in numbers as he moves from Man United to Everton
Rooney is acutely aware of Everton’s history having been part of it as a young player
Rooney shakes hands with his former team-mate and current Everton coach Duncan Ferguson, left, as he proudly wears his new club’s strip
It is understood that Rooney will take a pay cut to appear for the club he supported as a child
WAYNE ROONEY’S HONOURS AT UNITED
Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
FA Cup: 2015–16
Football League Cup: 2005–06, 2009–10, 2016–17
FA Community Shield: 2007, 2010, 2011, 2016
UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
UEFA Europa League: 2016–17
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
‘I’m not just coming back because it’s the team I support, the team I grew up playing for – I’m coming back because I feel the club can move forward and be successful,’ he said.
‘I want to be part of it. There will be pressure on me to perform, but I’m ready to go. I believe I can help move this club forward and be more successful on the pitch.
‘With the new stadium in the pipeline, it’s an exciting time to be an Everton player, to be an Everton fan.
‘It’s on us players to make those times even more exciting by giving them good performances and try to help them be successful and bring trophies to the club.’
Rooney said it was an exciting time to be an Everton player with the new stadium being built
Rooney poses for another photo with his former Everton strike partner Duncan Ferguson
Rooney smiles as he signs a two-year contract alongside club secretary David Harrison
Rooney addressed Everton fans during a brief video released by the club’s Twitter account
KOEMAN ON ROONEY
‘Wayne has shown me that ambition that we need and that winning mentality – he knows how to win titles and I’m really happy he’s decided to come home,’ Koeman said.
‘He loves Everton and he was desperate to come back. He is still only 31 and I don’t have any doubts about his qualities. It’s fantastic he’s here.
‘It’s all about his fitness and his desire, but he has shown me that ambition that we need. He knows how to win titles, as I said. No-one in the team except Gareth Barry and Davy Klaassen [in the Eredivisie] have won titles. The Under-20s are World Champions but not in the Premier League. He is that player. And don’t forget the experience he will give to the rest of the team.
‘Wayne, of course, is still competitive – he will be a competitor always – and he wants to play at the highest level that is possible for him. We have spoken several times about Everton and what we are striving to achieve.
‘That’s really interesting for Wayne and a lot of football players and, of course, in the situation of Wayne he was here at the beginning when he was young player for Everton. It’s his home and he likes that competition, he likes that pressure. I’m really happy that he finally decided to come back.
‘His main quality is his quality on the ball, his experience and what I describe as his winning mentality.
‘Everybody knows he can play out of different positions up front. He’s a smart player. He’s an experienced football player and that helps everybody.’
Everton manager Ronald Koeman said: ‘Wayne has shown me that ambition that we need and that winning mentality – he knows how to win titles and I’m really happy he’s decided to come home.
‘He loves Everton and he was desperate to come back. He is still only 31 and I don’t have any doubts about his qualities. It’s fantastic he’s here.’
Sportsmail understands Rooney has agreed to a salary reduction of around 50 per cent as part of the deal taking him back to his boyhood club.
United have agreed to pay a portion of their departing captain’s wages, which amount to upwards of £300,000 a week, to facilitate the transfer.
United manager Jose Mourinho and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward both paid tribute to the club legend.
Mourinho said, ‘It is no secret that I have long been an admirer of Wayne; he has been a model professional throughout his time at the club and will remain in the history books for many years to come.
‘It is never easy to see a great player playing less football than he would like and I could not stand in his way when he asked to go back to Everton.
‘His experience, focus and determination will be missed and I wish him well for the future.’
Woodward said, ‘Wayne has been a fantastic servant to United since the moment he signed for us as a prodigiously talented, explosive teenager some 13 seasons ago.
‘Who can forget his storybook debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce, the spectacular overhead kick against City and the countless match-winning performances in his time here?
‘But after much discussion, the club has decided to accept his request to rejoin his boyhood team.
Manchester United tweeted this image of their all-time high scorer saying ‘thank you Wayne’
Rooney returned to Goodison Park to play in Ferguson’s testimonial game in August 2015
Rooney came through the youth system at Goodison Park before leaving as an 18-year-old
Early days: Rooney, centre, with manager David Moyes, left and chairman Bill Kenwright
ROONEY’S FIRST EVERTON SPELL
Appearances: 67
Starts: 40
Minutes played: 4021
Goals: 15
Assists: 8
He departs as the Red Devils’ all-time top goalscorer after breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s record with a late equaliser against Stoke in January – his 250th strike for the club.
Rooney netted 253 goals in total during his 13 years at Old Trafford, which saw him claim five Premier League titles, a Champions League trophy and an FA Cup.
He becomes Everton’s sixth major signing of the window following Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, Sandro Ramirez, Davy Klaassen and Henry Onyekuru.
Rooney took part in Ferguson’s testimonial match against Villarreal in August 2015
Meanwhile, the football world has been reacting to the news, with some less than complementary offerings on social media from various rival supporters!
There were, however, those that wanted to pay tribute to Rooney and his career, with plenty of Everton fans looking forward to seeing him play for their club once again.
