Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney revealed how a makeover from his wife Coleen, left him embarrassed on his first England call-up. Rooney, who made his senior professional debut with Everton in 2002, earned his maiden national team call-up a year later. He appeared for the Three Lions for the first time in February 2003 against Australia in a friendly.
Rooney revealed how Coleen embarrassed himPainted his toenails before maiden England call-upRooney was left "fuming"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Rooney, who was still dating his childhood sweetheart Coleen back in 2003, visited her parents' house the night before he would join the England national team for the first time. The United icon remembered Coleen pulling off a prank on him as she painted his toenails, while Rooney was asleep.
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The 39-year-old further revealed that he was completely oblivious to his new makeover when he linked up with the England team. It was only when he went for a massage that he came to know about his painted toenails, which left him "raging" and "fuming".
WHAT ROONEY SAID
Speaking on his , Rooney said: "It was mad really, we went out to train and David Moyes came out and said, 'You've been called up by England.' I thought it was the U-21s because I'd done one training camp with the 21s. He went, 'Oh no, with the first team.' So I was surprised. I was obviously delighted. So the night before, I was in Coleen’s mum and dad’s house … and I fell asleep on the couch the night before, and Coleen painted me toenails while I was asleep, and I had no idea! It was like a – I don’t know what colour it was – like a see-through glossy type thing. If you really look close, obviously, you could see it.
"So, I got to England and then you get on with the physios and massages and stuff. I went to one of the masseurs and he said: ‘Have you painted your toenails?’ I was raging, I was fuming then."
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?
Thomas Tuchel's England kicked off their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Andorra on Saturday. They will next face Serbia on Tuesday.