Five of Wayne Rooney’s best Manchester United goals as his move back to Everton was confirmed

After a legacy that has spanned 13 years at Manchester United, it was officially announced on Sunday afternoon that Wayne Rooney is leaving Old Trafford to re-join his boyhood side Everton.

The 31-year-old forward became one of the world’s most illustrious players during his stint in Manchester, making 559 appearances and scoring a United club record of 253 goals.

There’s little doubt that he will go down into Old Trafford history as a genuine club legend, winning everything that can possibly be won at club level, and there are few that will try and argue with this.

But after finding the net 253 times for the Red Devils, which ones really stick out?

The Boot Room picks out five of his most memorable, exquisite and record-breaking goals.

Fenerbahce – 28 September 2004

After arriving from boyhood side Everton for an eye-watering fee of £27m at the time, an 18-year-old Wayne Rooney was awarded his Manchester United debut and it took all of 17 minutes to make an impact.

With so much hype and pressure on his shoulders after the switch he immediately wrote himself into Old Trafford folklore – and not for the last time – with an incredible Champions League hat-trick.

Each goal seemed to get better as he went on, first lofting the ball over the Fenerbahce goalkeeper before firing low into the bottom corner, saving the best until last through a superb curling free-kick.

Little did United know at the time that this was merely the beginning of a long and successful career for Rooney, but it was a breath-taking attacking display that will certainly live long in the memory.

Newcastle United – 24 April 2005

There are very few that will argue with this goal making the top five of any list of Rooney’s Manchester United goals, and even to this day (12 years on) it still doesn’t fail to amaze people.

With his side a goal down against Newcastle on the hour mark, Rooney ran on to a defensive clearance just outside the edge of the area and unleashed a truly sensational volley into the corner.

The technique to hit the ball cleanly from around 25-yards out was staggering, hitting it with the outside of his right-boot to thunder past Shay Given’s dive in a flash and nestle into the top corner.

Perhaps the greatest thing is that, in the build-up to the goal, he was in the middle of a heated debate with the referee – and with an argument and a sublime finish, it pretty much sums up his career.

Manchester City – 12 February 2011

It’s relatively fair to say that, should any football fan in the world – no matter what team their allegiance lies with – be asked about Rooney’s best ever goal, they’ll point to this particular one.

To score the winner in any derby match – especially the Manchester derby – is a special moment, but to do so with such a spectacular overheard kick out of nothing simply verges on the unbelievable.

With little over ten minutes to go at Old Trafford and nothing separating the sides, Rooney re-adjusted his position in the box and unleashed an unstoppable effort past a completely motionless Joe Hart.

It was a goal that kept the momentum with Manchester United on their way to eventually winning the Premier League title, but more than that it was a goal that will no doubt go down in English history.

West Ham – 22 March 2014

After his thunderbolt against Newcastle and overhead kick against Manchester City, Rooney was perhaps due another world-class effort during the 2013/14 season and he sure delivered on that.

With United struggling to keep up the pace with the top four in David Moyes’ first season as manager, Rooney gave supporters something to smile about with an exquisite half-way line lob.

Receiving the ball just inside United’s own half, he took a quick glance up and was opportunistic enough to spot West Ham goalkeeper Adrian off his line, releasing a quite brilliant lob over him and into the net.

Despite not exactly enjoying the best of times in the Premier League that year – with United languishing around seventh at the time – it proved the old sporting cliché and showed that class is permanent.

Stoke City – 21 January 2017

After 13 years at Manchester United, and in his 546^th appearance in a red shirt, Rooney finally surpassed Bobby Charlton’s all-time goal-scoring record when he found the net for the 250^th time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yi4ESNzTnCs

In typical Rooney fashion it was never really going to be a tap-in or a scrappy goal was it, instead coming on as a late substitute and firing in a sublime free-kick from a seemingly impossible angle.

After struggling for regular first-team action under Jose Mourinho, for him to step up and – four minutes into injury time – to try and go for goal from a ridiculous angle, it took a huge amount of nerve.

But whenever people doubt the 31-year-old he has always seemed to bounce back and deliver, and not only did he write himself into the history books but he preserved a 25-game unbeaten run in true Rooney style.

Did we miss any out? What are your favourite Rooney goals from over the years? Let us know.

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