Wayne Rooney's legacy at Manchester United was cemented long ago, but the fact that he retired as the club's all-time record goalscorer means that he will be part of the club's history forever.
At present, there is nobody in the current Man Utd who looks as if they will come close to Rooney's haul of 253 goals, never mind his Old Trafford trophy haul of five Premier Leagues, three League Cups, one Champions League, one FA Cup and one World Club Cup.
Despite being a scouser, Manchester United fans took to Rooney remarkably quickly. To be fair, a Champions League hat-trick on debut will do a lot for your reputation.
The Wayne Rooney chant has rung around Old Trafford for two decades now. But what is the story behind this Man Utd chant, and what are the lyrics? Let's take a look.
Wayne Rooney chant, lyrics and tune
The lyrics to the Wayne Rooney chant are as follows:
I saw my mate the other day,
He said to me he'd seen the white Pele,
So I asked, Who is he?
He goes by the name of Wayne Rooney,
Wayne Rooney, Wayne Rooney,
He goes by the name of Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney chant background
The Wayne Rooney chant was created very shortly after the player signed for Manchester United from Everton. While he was hardly an unknown prospect at that time, spending £30m on a teenager was seen as risky business at the time, but Rooney put any doubts to bed early on in his United career.
While labelling an 18-year-old the ‘white Pele' may seem like a bold call to make nowadays, it was perfectly reasonable at the time. Like Pele, Rooney burst onto the international scene as a teenager and was the player during Euro 2024, when he was still just 18 years old.
Now that all is said and done with his career, the comparisons with Pele are still fair. Yes, Rooney didn't achieve eternal glory on the international stage like the Brazilian or score as many goals, but in terms of pure footballing ability, he is on his level.
Man Utd fans singing the Wayne Rooney chant
FGG says: One of the most instantly recognisable English football chants
The Wayne Rooney chant is one of the most recognisable football chants in English football. It's one of those that, if it were created in the modern day, fans from across the EFL would be copying it and creating their own versions. Back then, though, stealing chants was more frowned upon, which means it will forever be associated with Rooney.