Alan Shearer has confirmed that Newcastle tabled an unsuccessful offer to sign Wayne Rooney before the legendary forward joined Manchester United in 2004.
Aged just 16, Rooney burst onto the scene with a sensational last-gasp winner for his boyhood club Everton against Arsenal in the 2002/03 season, bringing the Gunners’ 49-match unbeaten run to a grinding halt.
The striker would go on to establish himself as one of the finest young talents in world football, setting Euro 2004 alight and earning himself a then record £27million move to Old Trafford that summer.
Twelve-and-a-half years later, Rooney cemented his place in United’s history books as he surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton to become the club’s top scorer with 250 goals, later netting three more times before joining MLS outfit DC United in 2018.
But it appears Rooney’s incredible story could have been very different had Newcastle got their way towards the end of Sir Bobby Robson’s tenure at St James’ Park.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Newcastle icon Shearer lifted the lid on his former club’s bid for Rooney when the attacker was still at Everton – though conceded a move was never likely.
Asked whether Newcastle bid for Rooney, the Premier League’s all-time top scorer replied: ‘Yeah, they did.
‘I don’t know how serious it was. The old chairman at the time Freddie Shepherd, I think his son was involved in the agency so whether it was to speed a new contract up at Manchester United, I don’t know.
‘But Newcastle did put a bid in for him when he was at Manchester United. Definitely a bid went it for him. How serious it was, I’m not sure.
‘It would have been great but I don’t think realistically it was ever going to happen.’
Rooney is currently out of a job after being sacked by Birmingham City just 15 games into his reign – the England great’s third stint in management after spells with Derby County and DC United.
While on punditry duty with the BBC, Rooney said he would relish the challenge of managing one of his former clubs, Everton or Manchester United, should the opportunity arise in the future.
‘Yeah, I definitely want to get back into it,’ Rooney said.
‘Obviously it’s a setback, of course, what happened at Birmingham City. But I’m a fighter, I want to get back into it.
‘I’ve enjoyed my time, a few months out with my children, go and watch them play their games, school runs and stuff.
‘You know as a manager it’s part of the job, you have setbacks. A lot of the top managers around world football have had various roles and had setbacks.
‘It’s how you bounce back, it’s been a good time for me to reflect and make sure I get it right next time.’
While asking what sort of jobs Rooney would be looking for, host Gary Lineker suggested Manchester United could be a target, to which he replied: ‘That’s the aim, that’s where I want to get to.
‘Obviously United or Everton, these big jobs. You want to try and do them.
‘It’s a process and I’ve got to go through the steps of getting back on track, back into management and in the next ten years I’m in a position where I can go into one of the big jobs.’
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