To be fair mate, at the time he was our shining light in a team full of dross. He was a home grown blue and a devoted Evertonian. He still is by all accounts and a few ManU mates of mine say loads have turned against him because of this, especially when he takes his kids to our games sporting their Everton shirts (which I believe have Rooney on the back by the way). The once a blue always a blue shirt led some to believe he would never leave. He was also the darling of the media and the national team and every blue of a certain age must have felt like proud dads when he took the 2004 euros by storm.
So when he left, irrespective of the truth behind him leaving, many blues saw this as traitor like, and whilst I wasn't one of them, I was nevertheless distraught at the time. But I could empathise with those that held that view. His subsequent books and celebrating goals/kissing badges at Goodison didn't help his cause. He was still young and immature at the time and, it must be said, receiving a ton of abuse from the fans so, in a way, his reaction was understandable. He has since admitted he was wrong, that he regretted those actions and has apologised. For me that was case closed, but a lot of people just will never forgive him whatever he say's or does. I must admit I do, like yourself, find it harder to understand or empathise with these fans.
