The former Manchester United and Everton striker reflected on his trip to Ibrox for a Champions League game back in 2010.
Wayne Rooney has described the Ibrox atmosphere as the most ‘hostile’ he’s played in given his allegiances to Celtic.
The Manchester United legend grew up a Hoops fan and was seen in his youth going to Old Firm matches in the Celtic end, something he believes the Rangers fans cottoned on to when The Red Devils faced them 16 years ago in the Champions League.
United and Rangers drew each other in the group stage, as the Light Blues earned a valuable point at Old Trafford through a goalless draw. In the reverse fixture they were minutes away from the same fate before Rooney converted a late penalty to win the game for the visitors. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side would go on to make the final that season where they were defeated by Barcelona.
Rooney recounted that the Rangers fans were well up for the Battle of Britain fixture in November 2010 and were giving him pelters all game due to his Hoops allegiances. Speaking on BBC Sounds’ The Wayne Rooney Show, he also explained that one of his biggest regrets as a player was not signing for Celtic.
‘Hostile’ Ibrox felt personal - Rooney
When asked what the most hostile atmosphere he experienced as a player was, Rooney responded: “I would say Rangers away in 2010. I played there for Everton in a pre-season game and I'm a big Celtic fan and then I went to Ibrox to watch the Old Firm, to watch Celtic there, so I sat in the Celtic end, so I think they obviously were aware of that as well.
“When we went (to Ibrox) in 2010, they battered me. It wasn’t long after I'd asked to leave Manchester United, so I was under pressure as well to perform for United again. We got a penalty. So I've scored it and went off celebrating. But yeah, it was a real hostile performance. I felt it against me. Normally, you feel it against the team. But I felt it against me.”
The former England International also remember his opportunity to give a bit back to the Ibrox faithful after he scored. He continued: “I ran off and just slid and laid on my back. You knew you'd annoy them (Rangers fans) because I was getting it all game Back then, it was when I was using Twitter quite a bit as well and I was getting hammered on Twitter. Those were the good old days!”
Rooney ‘regrets’ not playing for Celtic
As a player, Rooney made 120 appearances for England, scored over 200 Premier League goals and won the Champions League, however he still maintains one his biggest regrets was not playing for Celtic, who he supported as boy.
He went on to talk about the competitive nature of Scottish Football back then, when both Old Firm sides were serial Champions League qualifiers. When asked if Rangers and Celtic were competing in Europe at that time, he responded: “Yeah, Rangers (were competing) and Celtic in particular. I think it's, well-documented I'm a Celtic fan, and it's probably one of my biggest regrets not playing for Celtic at some point.”
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