Golfing superstar Rory McIlroy has made no secret of his love for Manchester United.
The Northern Irishman is on the verge of glory in The Masters for the first ever time as he enters the competition’s final day with a two-shot lead ahead of Bryson DeChambeau.
With a possible grand slam on the line, McIlroy will be hoping he can parade the iconic Masters trophy around his beloved Old Trafford should he seal victory.
When reflecting on his affection for Manchester United, McIlroy pinpointed one Red Devils star in particular who he ‘loved’ watching at the Theatre of Dreams.
Rory McIlroy loved watching Wayne Rooney
Whilst featuring on the Stick to Football podcast in January 2024, McIlroy declared his admiration for United legend Wayne Rooney.
When asked about his favourite ever footballer, the Northern Irishman said: “It was David Beckham for a good part of it, but I loved Wayne Rooney.
“I still have season tickets at Manchester United and I loved going there and just watching Wayne because he worked so hard and ran everywhere, you felt exhausted after watching him for 90 minutes.
“To be that good but to also have that work ethic, to me he looked like he loved football, and I loved watching him play.”
The Ryder Cup winner also recounted a hilarious anecdote about Roy Keane refusing to give him an autograph when he was a child.
“I was down at the same hotel that the Irish team were staying at for a training camp I think,” Mcilroy revealed.
“I saw one of my Manchester United heroes waiting in the lobby, Roy Keane. I went over and asked him for an autograph, this was when I was about 12.
“He was sitting down and looked up at me and said ‘not today kid’.”
McIlroy wanted to be a part of Man United takeover
In October 2023, following the news of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s impending takeover of Manchester United, McIlroy even expressed interest in acquiring a stake at Old Trafford.
Speaking at the United States Grand Prix, he said: “I would love to be able to own a tiny percentage of the club I grew up cheering on as a boy.
“I would have loved to have taken 0.00001 percent of Manchester United when Jim Ratcliffe took 25 per cent.
“And if another opportunity comes my way, I will look at it. But it is not something that has come across our table as of yet.”
The Northern Irishman even revealed that he turned down the chance to invest in rivals Leeds United, due to his love for the Red Devils.
“There is Tom Brady at Birmingham, and there are a few golfers – Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas – who invested with the 49ers Group, and they own a tiny slice of Leeds,” Mcilroy disclosed.
“They asked me if I wanted to come on board, and I said, as a Man United fan, I cannot go anywhere near that!”
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