On This Day – 23rd August
It was on this day back in 2004 that Newcastle United put in a bid of £20 million to Everton for the services of teenage sensation Wayne Rooney.
Their offer was rejected so Newcastle came back with a slghtly higher offer of £23 million. Again they were rejected, with Everton keen to hold onto Rooney, who had shone in the European Championships that summer.
News of the interest from Newcastle soon reached Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who came in and put an offer for £30 million to take Rooney to Old Trafford. Much to Newcastle’s disappointment, Ferguson’s bid was accepted and Rooney was officially unveiled as a Manchester United player on 1st September.
In the thirteen years that Rooney spent at Old Trafford, he won sixteen trophies and became United’s all-time record goalscorer with 253 goals.
In that time, Newcastle United have been relegated twice from the Premier League, although they came straight back up winning the Championship at the first attempt. They have not won a major trophy since 1955. With Wayne Rooney in their squad, they may very well have overcome that 65 year hoodoo.
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