On 24 October Wayne Rooney was born, the kid who at sixteen ended Arsenal's thirty-game unbeaten run and went on to become the all-time top scorer for Manchester United and for England. Also born that day was İlkay Gündoğan, captain of City's treble winners.
Wayne Rooney
«Wazza»
🎂 turns 41
Wayne Rooney.
In shortWayne Rooney (Liverpool, 1985) is Manchester United's all-time top scorer, with 253 goals, and was England's, with 53, until Harry Kane overtook him. With United he won five Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League. He was as complete a striker as there has been: he scored, assisted, defended and played wherever he was needed.
Born24 October 1985
CountryEngland
Positionforward, mediocentro organizador
Clubs
Everton F.C.2002-2004 · 15 goals
Manchester United Football Club2004-2017 · 183 goals
Everton F.C.2017-2018 · 10 goals
D.C. United2018-2019 · 23 goals
Derby County Football Club2019-2021 · 6 goals
National teamEngland 120 caps · 53 goals
Honours
European Cup 2008Premier League 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2013Club World Cup 2008Europa League 2017FA Cup 2016
Other awards
Trofeo Bravo 2003Premio Golden Boy 2004Jugador del Año de la Premier League 2010Premio FWA al futbolista del año 2010Premio PFA al jugador del año 2010Premier League Hall of Fame 2022
↻ Dates, clubs and individual awards come from Wikidata and update themselves
Remember the name
He grew up in Croxteth, a working-class area of Liverpool, and was an Everton fan. On 19 October 2002, five days before his seventeenth birthday, he came off the bench against Arsenal, who had gone thirty league games unbeaten, and in the last minute scored a stunning goal from outside the box that won the game for Everton.
The TV commentator shouted remember the name. At that moment he was the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history.
Old Trafford
He dazzled for England at Euro 2004, and Manchester United paid the highest fee of the time for a teenager. He made his Champions League debut with a hat-trick against Fenerbahçe. In thirteen seasons he won five league titles and the 2008 Champions League in Moscow, the one with Van der Sar's penalty save.
His most famous goal came in February 2011, in the derby against City: an overhead kick from the penalty spot from a Nani cross that won the game.
Charlton's record
In 2015 he overtook the 49 goals of Bobby Charlton, born on 11 October, as England's all-time top scorer. In 2017 he also took United's record. He then played in the United States and for Derby County, whom he went on to manage.
Also born on 24 October
İlkay Gündoğan.
İlkay Gündoğan, the treble-winning captain
🎂 turns 36
A midfielder from Gelsenkirchen, like Özil, who came through Klopp's Borussia Dortmund and became one of the pieces of Guardiola's Manchester City. In 2023 he captained the side that won the treble: he scored both goals in the FA Cup final against United. He then spent a season at Barcelona.
Born24 October 1990
CountryGermany
Positionmidfielder
Clubs
VfL Bochum II2008-2009 · 1 goals
1. F. C. Núremberg2009-2011 · 6 goals
Borussia Dortmund2011-2016 · 10 goals
Borussia Dortmund II2012
Manchester City Football Club2016-2023 · 44 goals
Fútbol Club Barcelona2023-2024 · 5 goals
National teamSelección de fútbol de Alemania
Other awards
Futbolista alemán del año 2023
↻ Dates, clubs and individual awards come from Wikidata and update themselves
🔴⚪ Sporting Gijón players born this day
They played for Sporting Gijón and were born on this same day. There is only their data here: we would rather name them than leave them out, and rather give the bare facts than invent a story.
Ognjen Vranješ 🔴⚪
🎂 turns 37
Born24 October 1989
CountryBosnia and Herzegovina
Positioncentre-back
Clubs
FK Borac Banja Luka2006-2009 · 1 goals
Estrella Roja de Belgrado2009-2011
FK Napredak Kruševac2010 · 1 goals
FC Sheriff Tiraspol2010
Fútbol Club Krasnodar2011-2013 · 1 goals
FC Alania Vladikavkaz2013 · 2 goals
National teamSelección de fútbol de Bosnia y Herzegovina
↻ Dates, clubs and individual awards come from Wikidata and update themselves
Rogelio Altisent 🔴⚪
🎂 would have turned 96
Born24 October 1930
Died24 December 2004
Positiondefender
Clubs
Real Sporting de Gijón
↻ Dates, clubs and individual awards come from Wikidata and update themselves
Another 52 internationally known footballers were born on this day. We do not list them for the sake of it: only those with a story to tell make it here.
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Dates, clubs, individual awards and photos come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, under free licences, and update themselves. Ages are not written anywhere: they are calculated the moment you open the page, so this page always shows the right age, this year and twenty years from now. If any of these players signs for another club or wins an award, their profile picks it up on its own. What is written by hand is the story and the judgement: who the day belongs to, and why.