WAYNE Rooney has revealed the police once took his ball from him for playing in the street.
The footballer, who grew up in Croxteth, Liverpool, was being interviewed by the Radio Times about Wayne Rooney's Street Striker, a three-part Sky1 series in which 50 hopefuls are whittled down to one, who wins a place at a summer football camp in Brazil.
Asked where he used to play when he was growing up, the 23-year-old said: "I was fortunate because at the back of my mum's house there was a five-a-side tarmac pitch.
"There was a youth club next door so I'd just climb over the back fence. I used to love it.
"Then I went out on the streets and played there as well. When I was about 16, I got my ball taken off me by the police for playing in the street - which is pathetic really."
He continued: "When I was younger, we used to play across a main road.
"There was a sign on the other side and you'd get five goes to see how many times you could hit it.
"Then there was another one where we'd have just one goal and there'd be about 10 of us.
"If you scored you were through to the next round, and last one to score was out."
Asked how often he was last one out, Rooney replied: "Not very often!"
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Rooney: police took my ball
November 24, 2008
Wayne Rooney
Showing comments 1 to 6 and replies | View All
Road Safety Officer, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 13:27)
He continued: "When I was younger, we used to play across a main road."
Well done Wayne- setting a good example to the kids again!
Hamish Macbeth, Whitefield (24/11/2008 at 13:59)
Not really. At 16 you should be off the streets and in a park or somewhere. People get justifiably annoyed with 16 years olds kicking balls at their cars, houses, windows - stopping traffic in the street, making a racket and the like.
Bit different if you were 5 and being supervised by your parents - but at 16 you should have been playing elsewhere
adders, Co.Cavan ex Manchester (24/11/2008 at 15:49)
I was told off once for playing football in the street and gave my name as Stanley Matthews. Is that a story?
How (un)interesting.
DaveB, Manchester (24/11/2008 at 17:31)
Pippa, Manchester (25/11/2008 at 12:58)
shiniwatra's missing visa, manchester (25/11/2008 at 17:59)
the best one was 'complaints rise about police' - there was no data about what percentage actually led to finding fault with the police's actions or how many were by idiots had been arrested.
its easy doing stories about when the police screw up as few people actually stick up for us, although a lot of readers on here are very fair when the MEN tries it on.