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Football

27th Oct 2018

Wayne Rooney turned down private jets and hotel rooms at DC United ‘to be part of the team’

Wayne Rooney's goals have fired DC United into the MLS play-offs, and the former Manchester United captain has settled in without any fuss

Reuben Pinder

Wayne Rooney is a man reborn.

After an underwhelming homecoming at Everton, Wayne Rooney has found a new home for himself at DC United. His 12 goals have fired the club up the table, earning them a place in the MLS play-offs.

He’s got the number 9 back on his shirt, he’s scoring goals, and he couldn’t be happier. It’s heartwarming to see, the explosive teenager who introduced himself to the world at Euro 2004, walking off into the sunset, still banging the goals in.

He arrived as a big name, with an illustrious list of career trophies to his name, but was not interested in receiving any sort of special treatment from DC United.

When he first joined, the club offered him first-class flights and private hotel rooms for away games, but Rooney refused, saying he wanted to be treated like any other player on the team, the player revealed on the Men in Blazers show.

“If you are going to be part of the team, you have to be part of the team,” Rooney said.

“All in and do the same things. I don’t want special treatment — I wanted to be treated the same as the players. I’m part of this team.

“It’s not rocket science — if you can go and form relationships with the players and speak to them,” he said.

“I know a lot of players who come here — big players in other countries — they haven’t attempted to form those relationships or to buy in to what the team are doing. I think it is important. You do that, and you can have a big impact on the team.”