Wayne Rooney reveals surprise secret behind Man Utd success
- Rooney discusses key to Manchester United’s glory under Sir Alex Ferguson
- Video games the surprise element to bonding Rooney and teammates
- Improved communication one of the benefits former striker noticed
Wayne Rooney’s glittering spell at Manchester United produced five Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and a haul of unforgettable goals.
But according to the club’s record scorer, the secret ingredient behind Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant side wasn’t tactics or training – it was playing on the PlayStation.
Speaking on his BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show, the 38-year-old revealed that much of the team’s bond was forged not on the pitch, but on the road. The players regularly played SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs on the PlayStation Portable, turning long journeys into fierce five-versus-five battles.
"I really believe a big part of our success was playing on the PSP," Rooney said. "It got us communicating more.
"We used to play it on the plane, on the team bus," he explained. "It would be me, Rio [Ferdinand], Michael Carrick, John O’Shea, Wes Brown. You have to talk, you have to tactically be right, go and revive people when they get killed, and it was a massive part of our success. Ask any of those players – it was brilliant."
Rooney added that his teammates’ styles in the game often mirrored their personalities on the pitch.
“Michael Carrick was a little sneaky, calm one. You’d be lying down hiding and suddenly hear a grenade bounce nearby – he’d thrown it," he said. "I was just all in, frontline of the trenches, straight in there."
So while Ferguson’s legendary leadership and the squad’s quality remain undisputed, Rooney insists that SOCOM and the PlayStation may just have played an underrated role in creating one of football’s most dominant dynasties.
Who'd have thought?
READ THE LATEST FASHION, CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE CONTENT FROM 90MIN
feed