WAYNE ROONEY made a huge gaffe when he called Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time – despite being warned!.
Ex-Manchester United sports therapist Rod Thornley revealed how the then-teen sensation almost ruined the mood with an uncool call blunder ahead of his move from Everton in 2004.
Wayne Rooney might have got it in the neck after his unfortunate first phone call with legendary Man Utd boss Sir Alex FergusonBradley Ormesher – The Times
Rooney went on to become a Red Devils’ legend, winning the Champions League and five Prem titles as their record scorer on 253 goals in 559 games.
But Thornley has explained how the future England skipper briefly got on the wrong side of all-time great manager Fergie’s wrong side.
He was with Rooney on Three Lions’ duty when the embarrassing episode unfolded.
Thornley told Fore Four 2: “He [Rooney] said to me ‘If I’m going to call your boss, what do I call him?’
“I went ‘what, do you mean Sir Alex? He’s my boss so I’d call him boss but you’d call him Sir Alex because you don’t really know him. Are you going to ring him? Are you coming to us?’
“He said ‘well, what do you think? – I’m going to ring your boss’.
“I said ‘right, well, just call him ‘Sir Alex’.
” And I’m buzzing now because my mate’s going to come and sign for us. I’m thinking ‘aww brilliant’.
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“So he gets his phone out there and then whilst he’s away with England…. ‘alright Alex it’s Wayne’.
Thornley knew how Fergie could become something of a dark knight if he wasn’t fully respected.
He explained: “I know Sir Alex and he doesn’t like to be called Alex, he likes to be called ‘Sir Alex’.
” I’ve seen him many a time say to someone who’s gone ‘Alex, can you sign this for someone’ and he’d go ‘did I go to school with you? It’s Sir Alex to you’.
“That’s what he was like Sir Alex.”
But not many players have made it up better to Fergie than Rooney.
He spent 13 mostly glorious years at Old Trafford before returning to Everotn in 2017.
And he’s never recaptured the pomp of his peak United years – either on the pitch or in the dug-out.
After a brief spell with DC United he was Derby player-boss for two years.
And since returning to DC as manager in July 2022 he’s had a mixed time.
Perhaps he should call Sir Alex for help.