On this day in 2018, boyhood Evertonian Wayne Rooney left Everton for a second time to make a switch to MLS side D.C. United.
It was a major milestone in the late stages of Rooney’s career, having previously spent 13 years at Old Trafford with Manchester United before an Everton return for the 2017-18 season.
His first spell at Everton saw him depart for £33 million when he was only a teenager to switch to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side following his first-team breakthrough at Goodison Park.
His spell in Manchester saw him become the club’s all-time leading goal scorer prior to his Everton return, with Rooney going on to notch up a tally of 11 goals in 40 Everton outings.
He scored a further 25 goals in 52 games after his switch to the US capital, before a January 2019 move to Derby County where he both ended his playing career and transitioned into a head coach role.
Under his tutelage, a struggling Derby side was able to steer away from relegation by the final game of the season – though off-field issues threaten to undo that accomplishment.
Having played in most of his career as a centre-forward before dropping deeper into an advanced playmaking role in his latter years as a player, Rooney offered 28 goals and 4 assists in two spells and 117 outings as a Toffee.
