Man Utd fans say 'childhood is gone' as Wayne Rooney returns to Old Trafford

Wayne Rooney pulled on the famous red shirt of Manchester United again for a charity match on Saturday - but his cameo left fans all around the world feeling mighty old.

The former England star, 38, is United's all-time record goalscorer after spending more than a decade at Old Trafford before hanging up his boots back in 2021.

Rooney, who has since gone into management and is currently head coach of Plymouth Argyle, was one of a number of former stars who pulled on their boots for the match pitting United's legends against Celtic's in aid of the MU Foundation.

And while Rooney rolled back the years with a typically classy goal in the first half, seeing him on the famous Old Trafford pitch again left some people feeling their age.

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One person on X couldn't get over the sight of an older Rooney in his United kit, saying: "Smh where has my childhood gone."

Others were surprised by his appearance. While there were some harsher comments, the majority were pro-Rooney. One said: "No man has wintered as well as Wayne Rooney," while another quipped: "I love how old he looks. Proper footballer."

His majestic free-kick to break the deadlock was appreciated by all, though. Sharing a clip of the strike - which left Artur Boruc rooted to the spot - one fan summed it up best by simply saying: "Wayne Rooney still has it."

Join the debate! What's your top Rooney memory from his time at Man Utd? Let us know here.

Rooney was substituted in the second half for former team-mate Paul Scholes and was treated to a standing ovation from the fans gathered inside Old Trafford.

He left the field with the scores level at 1-1 after Gary Hooper equalised for Celtic shortly before Rooney's withdrawal. The veteran striker was left with the simplest of finishes after Stiliyan Petrov's 25-yard strike crashed back off the crossbar at Hooper's feet.

Rooney and Scholes were joined by plenty of other familiar faces on the day, which was possible due to the international break. For United, the likes of Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov all lined up alongside Rooney from the start, while Celtic were represented by the likes of Petrov, Georgios Samaras and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink.

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