Manchester United's all-time record goalscorer is in Bilbao ahead of Wednesday night's Europa League final showdown with fellow Premier League side Tottenham, where he took to the stage at a fan zone in front of thousands and made quite the bizarre admission
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has told fans how he watched Sister Act as he prepared for his Champions League final in 2008. Appearing at the United fan zone in Bilbao, Rooney also backed his old team to beat Spurs tonight in the Europa League final - so the fans can enjoy a few “bevvies”.
Thousands attended the zone in a park above the city, as United's all-time record goalscorer Rooney went on stage with fellow former stars including defender Wes Brown, ex-striker Andy Cole and legendary former full-back Denis Irwin. And he told the cheering crowd: “I remember the final in 2008, I went in the room and watched Sister Act.”
United are looking to put a miserable season behind them by winning the Europa League against fellow Premier League side Tottenham - themselves looking to win European silverware and put a dismal domestic campaign behind them.
Europa League success is estimated to be worth around £100million to the victor, but glory is the main focus for those that have taken all manner of weird and wonderful routes to the Basque country. There have been predictions of 80,000 fans heading to the all-English final in Bilbao, where the sparsity of accommodation options has seen supporters spill into surrounding cities like San Sebastian and Vitoria.
Rooney added: “It’s so good to be here, I hope the lads tonight give everyone the chance to go and get a few bevvies and enjoy the night.”
When asked how many goals he would score in this current United side he said: “I would like to think me and Coley would have scored more than the forwards have this season. It’s been a tough season, difficult to watch. But to have the opportunity to win a European trophy and get back in the Champions League, I hope they can get the club back to where it needs to be.”
Wes Brown told the United fans: “I was out late last night - let’s hope I can go out late tonight.”
United can lift a trophy for the third straight season, having won the Carabao Cup in 2023 and then last season’s FA Cup under Erik ten Hag.
Successor Ruben Amorim has the chance to continue that run and help kickstart a much-needed rebuild, with skipper Bruno Fernandes dreaming of lifting the Europa League aloft on Wednesday evening.
“It won’t change the past, it won’t affect what the past has done to us either,” the United skipper said. “But what it can affect is the future.
“Obviously winning a competition gives you a lot of things. In this case you get a place in the Champions League, a lot of revenue for the club, it gets more players wanting to come to the club. I think that at this club it doesn’t change much in that aspect because I think every player wants to play for Man United and it’s a thing that will never change because the name of this club speaks for itself.
“But the main thing for us is to focus on what we have ahead of us and that is a massive final.”