What Paul Scholes did in secret for Sir Alex Ferguson to help Man Utd sign Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney joined Manchester United successful 2004 successful a £27million transportation from Everton and went connected to go the Red Devils' all-time starring goalscorer during his 13-year spell astatine the club

Paul Scholes has revealed a behind-the-scenes communicative astir however his telephone telephone to Wayne Rooney whitethorn person proved pivotal in Sir Alex Ferguson's palmy bid to motion him.

On the latest occurrence of the Football's Greatest podcast, which helium co-hosts with erstwhile team-mate Nicky Butt, Scholes shared however helium played an unexpected portion successful bringing Rooney to Manchester United successful a blockbuster £27million determination from Everton backmost successful 2004.

Scholes, 49, recounted however Ferguson enlisted his assistance to woo Rooney, who had caught the manager's oculus conscionable a twelvemonth aft Cristiano Ronaldo joined the Red Devils.

"I was a tiny portion of that really due to the fact that we played with Wayne for England and the manager asked maine to ringing him," revealed Scholes. "The manager sent maine his telephone fig and [said] 'I privation to motion him', I rang him astatine home, it's weird due to the fact that I ne'er spoke to him before, I'd lone seen him for a time astatine England.

"I said 'Wazza it's Scholesy, the gaffer truly wants you, he's hopeless to motion you, what bash you think? 'He said 'Yeah, yeah, yea I'd emotion to come', consecutive away," reports the Manchester Evening News.

Rooney's transportation proved to beryllium a masterstroke arsenic helium deed the crushed moving astatine Old Trafford, netting 17 goals successful his debut season. His illustrious vocation astatine United spanned 13 years, during which helium became the club's all-time starring scorer with 253 goals successful 559 appearances, overtaking chap nine icon Sir Bobby Charlton.

Despite sharing a trophy-laden 9 years with the Red Devils, Rooney and Scholes erstwhile recovered themselves astatine odds. The hostility surfaced successful 2014 erstwhile Scholes hinted that Rooney mightiness beryllium past his prime, pursuing a caller five-year woody being handed to the then-United skipper nether brag Louis van Gaal.

Rooney didn't instrumentality kindly to the remarks, suggesting they could ruffle feathers astatine the club. "I'm definite he's upset a batch of radical astatine Man United due to the fact that they spot maine arsenic worthy of signing a caller woody astatine the club, truthful they evidently person got a antithetic sentiment to what Paul has," the erstwhile striker said.

"It was a spot strange, I'll beryllium honest, but helium has his opinions and he's entitled to them," helium continued. "I don't hold with it, but he's astir apt the champion subordinate I've ever played with, truthful I'm not going to sound him arsenic a player, but I don't hold with his point. I'm definite helium has his reasons for it."

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