Wayne Rooney returning to Old Trafford for Manchester United legends match against Celtic

The 38-year-old hung up his boots some time ago in favour of a managerial career after almost twenty years on the pitch. He left United in 2017 for brief spells at Everton, DC United, and then as player-coach at Derby County. However, some of his most spellbinding moments were at Old Trafford - his overhead kick in 2011 was voted the best goal in the Premier League’s first 20 years.

The glittering 13-year spell with United saw him pick up every club honour available. Now, Rooney will have the chance to return for one last dance.

Since 2013, the Reds have hosted five games in aid of the Manchester United Foundation where they have welcomed back old club greats and stars of world football. Opponents have included European greats Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona. This year’s fixture on September 7 is against Scottish Premiership giants Celtic, and will look to match the £1.3m raised by 2022’s clash with Liverpool.

Rooney is the latest name to be added to this year’s star-studded team sheet. He joins Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Antonio Valencia, Darren Fletcher, and Dimitar Berbatov in United’s lineup, with Bryan Robson in the dugout. Previous years have seen Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher face off on the Old Trafford pitch, as well appearances from David Beckham, Andy Cole, and Teddy Sheringham.

The cause at the heart of the events is the Manchester United Foundation, which aims to use football to empower young people. In the 2022/23 season, the foundation delivered more than 30,000 sessions. They manage the lower stages of the club’s female academy, offer free football and alternative activities at locations such as partner schools, and even have a partnership with Eccles Sixth Form College to offer unique opportunities to students on their BTEC Sport programme.

Of course, though charity is the name of the game, Rooney will be eager for a win on his homecoming. United lost their most recent legends match against Liverpool in 2022, but the last outing before that was a thumping 5-0 victory over the legends of Bayern Munich in a reprisal of the treble-winning 1999 Champions League final.

The 38 year old might be past his days of overhead kicks now, but a winning goal in September would certainly be a fitting homecoming.