Wayne Rooney: It was great being Anfield mascot

Posted Thursday, October 13, 2011 by The Sun

Wayne Rooney: It was great being Anfield mascot
ANFIELD OF DREAMS ... proud Wayne Rooney lines up in his Everton kit

WAYNE ROONEY admits a match at Liverpool used to make him feel physically sick.

And he will never forget the buzz of the first time he walked out in front of 41,000 fans at Anfield — even though he wasn't even playing.

Rooney, 26 later this month, goes to Anfield with Manchester United on Saturday for the latest clash between English football's fiercest rivals.

But he grew up a true blue fan of Liverpool's big rivals Everton and remembers the heat of some memorable Mersey derbies when he was a kid.

Particularly the one in November 1996 when he was Everton mascot, leading the team out before a rare 2-1 Anfield win.

Rooney said: "We didn't win many.

"I was mascot at Anfield and that was a great feeling.

"I used to love the games but I used to feel sick before them because I was so nervous, it was a horrible feeling.

"If you lost it was dreadful having to go back to school and face your mates who were Liverpool fans."

Plenty of United fans have known that feeling after losing on their last three trips to Anfield.

Rooney has played against the biggest and the best in football but admits there is still nothing like a trip to the red half of Merseyside.

And the day will hold extra-special meaning for Rooney because, along with his family, he retains a deep affection for his first club Everton.

He said: "For me the toughest place to go and win a game is at Anfield.

"All my family are massive Everton fans and to beat Liverpool is always a great feeling and a great day when you do that. It's a big day for United with the rivalry with Liverpool — but, for me, it's a massive game."

His first trip to Anfield with United, in January 2005, was even more special.

Rooney said: "We won 1-0 — and I scored the winner at the Kop end, so that was a great day."

He would love to do that again on Saturday against a Liverpool side now being bossed by the club's greatest ever player, Kenny Dalglish.

The Scotsman is someone who, as a striker, Rooney is full of admiration for.

He said: "I've watched lots of him. He was a fantastic player and, for me, he's probably one of the best players I've seen to be honest.

"He could score goals, he could link up play so, for me, he was a great player."

This is a new Liverpool team under Dalgish, in his first full season back in charge at Anfield.

He said: "Liverpool have made some good signings and obviously with them not qualifying for the Champions League, they will be desperate to get back into that.

"They'll be pushing to get into the top four and, with the signings they have got, they're capable of doing that.

"So we'll have to be aware of them and try and beat them this time."

Rooney will be hoping for a victory to give him something to smile about after his red card for England against Montenegro.

That dismissal means he misses at least the opening group match of next summer's Euro 2012 finals — and he will find out today if UEFA have increased that ban by one or even two more games.

Rooney has written a letter to European football's governing body as part of an FA plea for leniency.

He has had support from match referee Wolfgang Stark for not contesting his dismissal after kicking Miodrag Dzudovic.

And United manager Alex Ferguson has also defended the player.

Fergie said: "He's shown tremendous improvement in terms of his temperament, his reactions to tackles and things like that over the last few years."

No doubt Rooney will get plenty of stick from the Kop this weekend.

But Ferguson will not want his star striker hiding.

The Old Trafford boss has already made it clear his team need to toughen up to get a result at Anfield.

Ferguson said: "On a couple of occasions we've been out-fought by them, which has been disappointing.
"Of course, every time we go there it's as if it's the biggest game of the century.

"But we need to be better than we have been in recent seasons — and this team can do that."