Wayne Rooney’s illustrious career at Manchester United saw him secure five Premier League championships, a Champions League trophy, and score an array of memorable goals.
However, the club’s all-time leading scorer attributes Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful tenure not to strategies or drills, but to sessions on the PlayStation.
On his BBC podcast, The Wayne Rooney Show, the 38-year-old shared that the camaraderie among team members was built off-field during travel. Players engaged in intense five-versus-five matches of SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs on the PlayStation Portable, turning long trips into a bonding experience.
“I really believe a big part of our success was playing on the PSP,” Rooney said. “It got us communicating more.
“We used it on flights and the team bus,” Rooney mentioned. “Players like Rio [Ferdinand], Michael Carrick, John O’Shea, Wes Brown, and I would team up. It required communication, strategic moves, and reviving teammates – a crucial part of our winning formula. Ask any player behind our success; it was fantastic.”
Rooney added that his teammates’ styles in the game often mirrored their personalities on the pitch.
“Michael Carrick was a sly strategist,” Rooney continued. “You’d be hidden and suddenly a grenade would appear – courtesy of Carrick. As for me, I’d plunge straight into the action, leading from the front lines.”
Despite Ferguson’s renowned leadership and the undeniable talent of the squad, Rooney believes that the teamwork fostered through SOCOM and the PlayStation contributed significantly to constructing one of soccer’s most formidable teams.
Who’d have thought?
