Rio Ferdinand: Wayne Rooney always struck me as a very angry young man, he'd go through phones like sweets at Manchester United
Ferdinand reveals how Rooney used to smash his mobile phone up regularly after arguing off the pitch
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Rio Ferdinand has revealed the extent of Wayne Rooney’s tantrums off the field as he described his former Manchester United and England team-mate as “a very angry young man” due to his tendency to go through new mobile phones “like they were sweets”.
Ferdinand played alongside Rooney at Old Trafford for 10 years after the striker joined from Everton in 2004, and despite his obvious talent at just 18 years old Rooney’s temper was just as prominent on the pitch.
The 28-year-old now appears to cut a calmer character who has taken on the captains’ armband for both club and country. However, somewhat unsurprisingly, Ferdinand has lifted the lid on what Rooney was like growing up, and claimed that he constantly had arguments on the phone that would lead him to smashing the device in a fit of rage.
The claim comes in his new autobiography ‘#2Sides’, which is currently being serialised by The Sun, and has already revealed the finer details of David Moyes’ failure at United, his involvement in the John Terry racism row and the subsequent clash he had with Sir Alex Ferguson for choosing to snub the Kick It Out T-shirt.
“Wayne Rooney always struck me as a very angry young man, always arguing with people outside the training ground, especially on the phone,” said 35-year-old Ferdinand, now with Queens Park Rangers.
“He seemed to fly into a rage about the smallest things and went through mobile phones like they were sweets. He’d smash phones up in frustration, throwing them on the concrete.
“I don’t know what happened but he did calm down.”
Ferdinand made his return to Old Trafford last Sunday, but it was a day to forget for the centre-back as an Angel Di Maria-inspired United tore apart Rangers to record a resounding 4-0 victory – and more crucially their first win of the season.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments