Yes and I always will. He isn't a legend of ours.
Growing up as an Everton fan was always hard, for once it was us who had the wonderkid everyone was talking about. In school we had something to rave about and to top it off, he was a supposed avid Evertonian. He then abandons us at the first opportunity, leaving us with the realistic possibility of relegation.
The subsequent years he celebrates madly in front of real Evertonians at any given opportunity. Now he expects loyalty when he is finished. It's hilarious.
This is all a moot point anyway. After two years in America he will be the size of a house.
Never said he was a legend, but holding a 14-year grudge against a player that left in equal part down to the club needing the money is astounding.
I was nine when he left. I was devastated. First time I realised how crap supporting a footy side is but hey ho, life lessons innit.
He went on to become one of the best footballers of the last 30 years, and won everything. I don't begrudge him. I got over it in about 2008 by the time I was 13 and realised that it's quite strange to get annoyed about a bloke I've never met changing jobs.
That £25m helped keep us from going bankrupt. I'm not saying that's why Rooney left - he did it because he wanted the glory and the money (both of which he went on to get).
He celebrated in front of Evertonians because every time he came back he was (rightly) abused and insulted. He was 19 or 20 the first time he came back to Goodison, how would you expect him to react?
I don't think he expected loyalty. He came back because the management and club thought he could offer us something. And objectively, he has. He's finished the season as our top scorer, it produced tons of world-wide publicity when he came back and if not for total mismanagement it could have been different.
Rooney isn't blameless in our bad season, but he isn't to blame either. He gave us good memories and then gave us some not so good moments. It happens.
