Wayne Rooney’s return to Goodison Park didn’t go too well as his post-match speech was interrupted by supporters.
The former Blue was in attendance to say goodbye to the legendary stadium as it ceases to be the men’s team stadium after 133 years.
Everton won their last home game at the arena 2-0 over Southampton, and fans were jolly as they took on Rooney during post-match proceedings.
Peter Reid and Andy Gray were the first to speak to the crowd, and then Duncan Ferguson and Rooney.
Former boxer Tony Bellew welcomed the pair of former strikers to the stage and both got their names cheered and there were even chants of ‘Rooney’.
Yet when he began speaking, the mood quickly changed.
‘Big Dunc’ handed the microphone over to the former England captain who said with a laugh: “Firstly I think I’m getting stitched up by being made to stand next to Duncan.”
And then when he talked about being a ‘young lad from Crocky [Croxteth]’ he got interrupted.
They crowd starting singing ‘Manchester is full of s***’ alluding to Rooney leaving the team in 2004 to spend his best years at Manchester United.
The 39-year-old could only laugh as his son stood beside him looking awkward, while Ferguson even clapped.
The Scot briefly took the microphone, before Bellew went back to Rooney and asked for his favourite memory at Goodison.
“First of all I am a f****** Scouser by the way,” he said to laughter and cheers.
He then continued: “I just wanted to say from my point of view, Everton is the club I grew up as a young boy loving and I still love the football club.
“I know we’ve had ups and downs and I know I went and played for Manchester United, but the memories I have with this football club will last a lifetime.”
The crowd began cheering and applauding before Rooney added: “It’s very emotional being here today and hopefully the new ground can bring the history Goodison Park has. I’m looking forward to it.”
Everton will be moving to a new stadium in Bramley Moore Dock for the 2025/26 season, but it has been confirmed that Goodison won’t be demolished and will be kept for the women’s team.
Rooney himself broke through at the club as one of England’s most exciting youngsters of all time.
He only spent two seasons at Goodison before the club accepted a £20million offer from United where Rooney became a club and footballing legend.
He won 16 honours with the Red Devils including the Champions League and five Premier Leagues, scoring 253 goals in 559 games.
Departing Old Trafford in 2017, he made a one-season return to Everton and netted ten goals before moving to DC United and then Derby where he stopped playing and began his coaching career.
