Wayne Rooney has named one Manchester United teammate who he was 'devastated' to see leave the club and even claimed the star didn't actually want to go. The Englishman is one of the Red Devils' greatest ever players and is their all-time top goalscorer. He spent 13 years at Old Trafford, winning five Premier League titles and a plethora of other trophies under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Towards the end of his time in Manchester, and his career as a whole, Rooney dropped deeper on the pitch and transitioned from his role as a striker to more of a midfield position. Still, he spent the majority of his time on the pitch up top, scoring goals for both club and country. It was during that time as a striker that he formed a bond with another United player. Their relationship was so strong, in fact, that he admitted he was 'devastated' to see the star leave the club and thought he didn't even want to go.
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Wayne Rooney was 'Devastated' When Carlos Tevez Left Man United
The Argentine joined their rivals Man City after two years at Old Trafford
After spending one season at West Ham United, Carlos Tevez joined Manchester United on loan in 2007. He joined the club on a two-year loan deal and quickly forged a fine partnership with Rooney. The pair, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, were explosive up top for the Red Devils and Tevez helped lead the side to back-to-back Premier League titles, as well as a Champions League trophy in 2008. Despite his fine stint in Manchester, the Argentine's relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson grew strained and towards the end of his second season at Old Trafford, he fell out of favour in the first-team.
As a result, once his loan deal expired, he decided to turn down United's five-year offer to join the club on a permanent deal and instead moved to their close rivals, Manchester City. The situation left Rooney 'gutted'. Speaking to BBC Sport on the matter, with quotes shared via Metro, he said:
"I was gutted to be honest. I’m pretty sure Carlos wanted to stay at Manchester United. Man City at the time were trying to build and become competitive and I knew that he’d be a massive part of that because obviously the ability he has.
"I think we’ve seen when he went there, he had some great times there as well. I was devastated. I would’ve really liked him to stay longer and continue to play with him."
Tevez left United after 99 appearances and 34 goals, joining City where he'd go on to play 148 times. He scored 73 times for the blue half of Manchester and lifted another Premier League title in 2012.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and accurate as of 29/06/2025