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The former Manchester United and England star has had kind Everton words for a pair formerly of Rangers and Celtic.
A Celtic flop and a Rangers record breaker have been named as part of Wayne Rooney’s elite Everton club.
The former striker started his career at Everton and made his name as one of England’s most promising talents in Merseyside, going on to fully cement that with Man Utd and England. He also returned to Everton for a second spell and was in the MLS with DC United too, going on to manage them as he turned to the next stage of his career.
Rooney has also managed Derby County, Birmingham City and recently Plymouth Argyle. He has been reflecting on his time at Everton with club media and has handed a nod to a pair formerly of Rangers and Celtic.
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Celtic flop gets a mention
Thomas Gravesen had undisputed talent but was renowned for having a madcap personality. He featured for the likes of Everton, who Real Madrid signed him from, and he went straight from Los Blancos to Parkhead in what appeared a transfer coup. In the end, Gravesen’s impact was minimal and he struggled in Hoops between 2006-2008 before ending his career with another stint at Everton.
Former Celtic defender Mark Wilson told Nutmeg of the Dane: “I always thought maybe he’d come into the dressing room and it would be a bit of an act or the things I’d heard weren’t true, but it was far from it. At the end of that season, when we asked him ‘What are you doing in the summer?’ Thomas said ‘Just back home, lad’ and he said he’d go back to his parents’ house, go in the basement and play computer games constantly.
“I’m thinking ‘Jesus Christ, this guy has got millions, he could go anywhere in the world’ and at that time he had his girlfriend, and he goes home to sit in a basement. It was so far from what a footballer of his stature was about.”
It’s a testament to the clear talent he had that Rooney named Gravesen as the best player he’s played with. He said: “Best player I have played with at Everton...it’s a difficult one as it was a different time and a different generation over two spells. I’d probably say Thomas Gravesen is the best player I played with.”
Rangers record breaker’s nod
Then it came to who his hero was and the answer provided proved to be Duncan Ferguson. In his playing days, the ex-forward took the title of Rangers record breaker when he was signed for a fee of £4m in 1993, which was the highest UK transfer fee at that time. Ferguson remains the last Ibrox player to achieve that mantle.
Rooney said when asked for his favourite player growing up: “My favourite was Duncan Ferguson. His passion and fighting, I used to love coming and watch him playing. Then I was lucky enough to play alongside him as well so he was probably my favourite player.”
Related topics:Wayne RooneyEvertonDuncan FergusonPremiership
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