Rooney: I score for my country and this wonderful feeling

Rooney: I score for my country and this wonderful feeling

The best scorer in the history of the England national team Wayne Rooney shared his memories of participating in the 2002 European Championships among young men under 17.

In 2002, 16-year-old Rooney for the first time played for the England team at the official international tournament - the European Championships for young men under 17 in Denmark. In the match for third place, the young Everton player made a hat-trick and helped his team to beat Spain 4: 1. A year later, Rooney debuted in the first team of Everton and the adult England team, for which subsequently scored 50 goals.

"It was a great time. I was called to the England squad for boys under 17, and we had a great tournament. We lost in the semifinals, but it was a valuable experience. It was that stage of a career when you still continue to actively develop as a player, but really enjoy the process and enjoy the new challenges.

I began to get used to what I score for my country. It is a wonderful feeling at any age level. I remember that during the whole tournament I actually played Paul Breswell's boots. He was a player of Everton, so playing in his boots and becoming the top scorer in them was something incredible. Looking back, I can say that it was a terrific period, a great time for playing football and professional development ", Rooney is quoted by the press service of UEFA.