Q&A: United’s SECRET Code Names, Red Cards & DREAM Moves

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0:30the highest B2B return on ad spend of major ad networks. Spend$250 on your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get$250 credit for the next one. Just go to linkedin.com slash broadcast. That's linkedin.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. The time when we used to play on the PSP, the army game, and we all used to have had on different names. So Rio's name was Brab. I don't remember before the game, I said to clean. so I was kind of if we win it I'm going to lift it with Michael Caddick who was the vice captain and she was like no you lift it by yourself do you do like bleep tests like that?

1:09yeah well I was clever so I used to drop out just after the golf no because then the next time you do it I knew I'd just have to go a little bit more to beat myself this is my favourite type of Wayne Rooney show I think where I don't have to host on my own because it feels like you're going to ask questions as well. Absolutely. Well, I'm not asking questions. The listeners are. Yes. Okay. This is a Wayne Rooney show where we put the listeners' questions to Wayne Rooney. Wayne Rooney. Do you want to go first? Let's go. Right. Danny from Huddersfield asked, in your opinion, which season did you play the best football of your career?

1:48I love that voice that you've put on. 2010-11, I think I scored the most goals. But in terms of... Best football, I'd probably say 2006. What about the football? I just enjoyed it. I think I broke my foot at the end of that season before going into the World Cup. I think it was just everything flowed. We were in a good place. We were just trying to win the Premier League. We actually didn't win the league, but I think it was probably the best football I played. When you were wearing the number eight, that was my favourite era. I always wanted to go to ten. So as soon as Van Nistri left, I knew I was taking the ten chairs.

2:36I thought they asked. The reason I said why is because when I think of 2006, Wayne Rooney, I think of broken foot. That was why when you said that, I was like, what? You like the season where you broke your foot? Yeah, no, but it was right at the end of the season at Stamford Bridge. But I think up until then, you'd probably forget the World Cup. can I just I don't think we've spoken have we really about that whole broken foot incident too much when you broke it did you know immediately because that must have knowing there was a world cup on the horizon that must have your world must have just gone into like yeah no I felt it I felt it I heard it well a new state's away and then obviously after that it was all just trying to get fifth of the world cup and I was in I was in oxygen chambers for 180 minutes a day just doing everything I could to try and get fit.

3:26And I think from when I broke it, there was three cracks, three breaks. And then from when I broke it till my first training session, I think it was about three and a half weeks. Three and a half weeks? Three and a half, four weeks, yeah. Were you still in pain? No, I could feel it, but it healed. So that was the main thing, it healed. And then my first training session, I pulled my groin.

3:55Gosh, okay, sorry. It's not meant to be me putting questions to Wayne, is it? But I'm always fascinated about that. Let's put this question from Callum Watson, 2009. What's one team you wish you could have played for? Barcelona. It's easy, that, isn't it? Yeah, no, I think that Barcelona team, Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Piquet, and I think I would have suited, I would have fitted into that team. They were missing a number nine, really. chopped and changed with the number nines and that definitely would have been the one team I'd love to have played on yeah that would have been insane thankfully it never happened I've got I've got just Joe Haddad who is one player you would have loved to play with during your career but never got a chance to Messi I think I just love how he plays and he's the best but I probably say Zidane no all I would have loved to have played with Zidane but Ronaldinho oh mate you've played with him in charity matches and stuff haven't you yeah I've played I think a couple of charity games with him we were both a bit different a bit slower but no to play with him would have been incredible yeah it was insane like you made me fall in love with football Anzar IQ are you secretly proud of any of your red cards?

5:25I love that this has gone through a filtering system and we've still got that one on the outside. No. I'm trying to think of all my red cards. I've got one of the Villa Rau away. The clapping one. Yeah.

5:41One for throwing the ball to the referee.

5:47No. It's not nice when you get sent off. When I turned the ball to the ref, I remember going in, Paul Scholes had been sent off and the two of us were just sat in there. It's horrible when you go in the dressing room and the games going on and especially this was at Fulham and there's no TV and you just sat there like. And away dressing rooms, they're even worse, aren't they? Yeah. So, no, it's never nice when you get sent off. That's the correct answer really, isn't it? You can't really see it. Then you're thinking of the next games as well. What games are you going to miss? so it's the knock-on effect it has.

6:20Yeah, okay. I like this one from Mike from Leicester. Which teammates thought they were a gaffer when the manager wasn't around? Rio. Oh, is it? Definitely, yeah. Rio liked the referee games as well in training. Jamie Carroll used to do it in England all the time as well. But no, no one really... I don't think... I think our dressing room for the main part of us being at United almost managed themselves really so you didn't really the manager didn't have to come down to the rest of the whole time and tell you not to do things or to do things it managed itself so there was no one and obviously we had the likes of Giggsie and Gaznevin there who were like Fergie's kids so you knew that they were basically running it for you Is that something that you think's changed now in terms of characters in dressing rooms running dressing rooms?

7:14When you look at, when I sat down from United, they had Giggsie, Glasnev, Scolsey, Roy Keane. So you'd have them, then you'd have the next group coming behind them, like myself, Carrick, Rio, Wes, John O'Shea. And then probably what hasn't happened is that group has been replaced with a core group of players. A lot of foreign players are coming in and that's where you miss that British aspect of a dressing room. Timmy Shanti, what's your biggest regrets and biggest achievements both personally and professionally we'll stick with professionally biggest regret I don't know if it's a regret but well it is because we didn't probably not win anything with England I think that's something which you know obviously you try and do and we went to five or six tournaments I went to and not to win anything so yeah that was a disappointment and biggest achievement it's just any trophy win I think the FA Cup is one I really like winning that and obviously being captain and lifting it at Wembley going up the steps as captain that was a massive one but all the trophies Champions League Premier League whatever you win it always massive achievement what's it like going up those steps at Wembley what's going on tight end yeah you just played 90 minutes no yeah it's it's historically it's a massive moment I remember it's the only thing I've ever you know seen my team as Everton win as a kid and remember that like so it's there in my head being at the game and whatever so to go up as captain I remember before the game said to clean I was gonna if we win here I'm gonna lift it with Michael Caddick who was the vice captain and she was like no lift you lift it by yourself it's your moment whatever so I said no because me and Carrick have been there for so long together and we were the last of our group really and we never won the FA Cup so I just felt it was right so me and Michael lifted him and then we dropped the lid off it so as we lifted the lid fell down fell over the steps but then but when you're up there and you're looking down and you've got the opposition who've just been up and there on the pitch and then you've got all your fans it's mad because you've got all your fans one side and the other side of Wembley's disappeared yeah basically and then so that feeling was was mad it was crazy because I've been up there before as well been up a few times when we've lost obviously and when you lose it's such a horrible walk up and down the steps and you're walking through the fans and it's not a nice feeling so to go up as a winner you gave me the choice was it like Prince William or anybody there at that point or was it no royalty no idea it's not really about who gives it to you is it it's about getting you probably notice that more when you're watching it oh yeah when you're going up you're not really yeah you're just wanting to get your hand on the it's like anyone could give it to you yeah I don't even know actually who presented it to us fair play fair play right Harry how much impact does the fans singing actually have on players does it help um Singing, I wouldn't say that much.

10:42It's nice, obviously, all the songs and different songs and new songs for players and stuff is nice, but it's more like a roar when you get a corner or you have a shot or whatever. It's more that roar, not so much the singing, which has an impact. Did you not like your chants then? Or did you never notice while you were playing? Yeah, you hear them. You do hear them, but it's not something you focus on. Interesting. Lucy in Banbury says, if you weren't a footballer, what do you genuinely think you'd be doing now? Honestly, no idea. Like me made to, you know, lexicians, builders, something like that.

11:27So I'd imagine something like that. No idea. Me and Kay kind of have a bit. I go into comedy. doesn't seem too hard right fair play I feel like that's not what he was saying when he came to us he's like me I don't know how you do that so true actually I can vouch for that sitting next to him he was nervous for you also you and I have a bit of a competition I feel like on this to ask the best questions it's all good it's I'll go for I'll go for whichever it's fine yeah footballers love a nickname this is from Kate in Preston I was going to do that one next Waza Righty Kino but which player's nickname made you laugh every time you heard it plays nicknames.

12:06There must be some good nicknames that we've never heard of as well that were like in the dressing room that we wouldn't know. No, I don't know. I think everyone, the names are out there. There was the time when we used to play on the PSP, the army game, and we all used to have our own different names. So Rio's name was Brab, as you can imagine. One was Haywire. Dan Fletcher was Haywire, not from Prison Break okay one was Cobra so we all had different names which then actually we ended up calling each other them names oh really oh on the pitch yeah oh nice I thought so you shouted brah at Rio your position must have been like what what were you called then mine was fatty

12:58why I don't know I used to change mine up but in general mine was fatty Did you pick that for yourself? No. But it was funny because when you're playing the game, like if you're on the plane or the coach, it used to get loud. So we could be on the coach and you'd just say, Fatty, pick me up. Brap. Sorry, Brap's the one that's got me. The older ones like Giggsie and Edwin, you'd see them looking back a few times. The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, including 130 million decision makers.

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14:09He whispers to himself, It's time to put my balls on the dashboard. As he starts the engine. In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Total Wolf, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire, how Toto Wolff made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Be quiet.

14:41Which young player today, this has come from Patrick in Essex, reminds you most of yourself, not just talent, but attitude? Probably Jude. Jude Bangle, I'd say. He's got that personality and that character, and you can see he hates losing. And sometimes it looks like it can boil over at times as well. So I'd say he's probably the one closest to when I look at his game and his personality. I'd say he's probably the closest to him. And that kind of elite mentality, he's obviously playing at the top. Yeah, and you can see he just hates losing. So I'd say he's probably the one who reminds me more of myself than any of the players.

15:23And of course he's been a young superstar from a young age like yourself. well similar looks and stuff as well put in this is samuel sponzi putting trophies and medals to one side who was an absolute baller on a football pitch whose skills you respected it's probably all of the ones we we know it what about somebody we don't know is there anybody that you played with and you were like oh wow they should be Do you know who was Unbelievable in training Was Thomas Graveson Oh really Yeah Well he ended up At Real Madrid So yeah Yeah he was Honestly he was Brilliant in training So I'm trying to think Of ones like Where you wouldn't Expect but Thomas Graveson He was a player At Everton as well Joe Max Moore American player Was really good In training It weren't too good When it got to the games But In training was good There's no one really In particular Obviously Ravel Morrison Was a young lad it was brilliant yeah so probably then what was it Graberson was doing in training that was different from what he was doing on the field he was just quick strong he used his body well skillfully skillful you couldn't get the ball off him great range of passing so yeah he's one who surprised me when I got into Everton's first team and then obviously playing with him I weren't surprised when he got his move to Real Madrid so yeah he was the one really who stuck out 1985 Walks asked what is the hardest decision you've ever had to make in football?

16:58Probably leaving Everton I'd say it was tough obviously being an Everton fan, my old family and that realisation that I was going to leave was strange it was tough yeah it was weird so obviously Dennev left and having to tell me, my dad that I was leaving Everton, for instance, was tough. Did he understand? Yeah, he got it, but it was the club I grew up wanting to play for and obviously you'd hope you'd play the rest of your career, but obviously I think I was moving at a warm pace and Everton weren't. And then it was strange actually going and putting the Man United kit on for the first time.

17:43That was the training kit. Really? Yeah, like that feeling, it was strange, yeah. What do you think would have happened in your career if you stayed at Everton? I don't know.

17:57Really, I don't know. You'd hope you'd try and win something. But then I left and I think Everton really needed the money at that time and the money in which they got with me leaving. and they brought Jag Yalka Baines Tim Cahill Fellaini they brought all these players in and actually done really well so the money which they got for me actually probably made them a better team than just me staying there so it worked both ways really Can you remember the first time that you were told that Man United wanted you? Not really but I remember around that time I knew the Chelsea United Newcastle I knew that all these teams were interested in me and whatever.

18:44And then, really, I looked at it. I knew I wanted to sign for Man United. I knew it would have been right for me. It weren't that far away from home. The only thing was obviously the rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester. That made it tougher, but I think quite strong man to where I knew I'd be able to do it. when you get linked with clubs like that do your friends start texting you going what's this i've heard about like united or anything like that and how does that feel when you maybe having to keep it a secret or yeah ask questions and that but you never really open up on it because you don't know obviously um i only told my dad once i knew it was happening so it's you don't really open up that much on it to be honest yeah you just right so here's one from Jordan in Southend you always come across as being super confident about your football ability did you ever lose confidence during your career?

19:49yeah you do and sometimes there were times where I was low on confidence and I actually probably go the other way and act over confidence to try and trick your mind if you like but yeah there's loads of times you lose confidence I remember there was a time where I went I think about 12 games I'll score and you're low on confidence and you're trying it's only when you go through that you understand how to get through that and unless you've gone through that you don't know how to get through it and come out of the side because you're trying too hard you're trying to do different things which to show you're a good player.

20:33But actually, it's much better keeping it simple and stuff. But yeah, I spoke to every player as a dip and a loss of confidence. How did you get yourself specifically out of that? Was there anyone you spoke to or was there anything? Or did you just have to kind of... I used to speak to the manager on it. But then I'd try and do a mad pass or put someone through on goal or score from 30 yards and stuff. I was trying all hard stuff and then actually it was just get it, give it, get in the box and just keep it to the basics of the game and keep it simple and get yourself through it. It's mad that I remember it was bolting away.

21:13I hadn't scored for about 12 games and then I scored and then I scored another two in the same game, scored at that. It's mad that just that one goal changes everything. What's the biggest misconception fans have about life inside an elite dressing room? This one's from John in Harlow. I think football is judged, rightly or wrongly, we're meant to be this role model in which I think inside, I assume you've got a group of young lads and young teenagers as well and young men and I think people forget that. still trying to find the way in the world. And obviously, you've got a lot of artists watching them, a lot of people supporting them.

22:05And there's no way for them to find their way to be that kid or that teenager or that young adult. So I think that gets lost a little bit. You've got to grow up a lot quicker than you normally should do. Right, here's one from Matt in Macclesfield. out of the players you played with who had the best football brain who was the best athlete and who was the best finisher let me go through one by one because I'm lost already what was the last bit and who was the best finisher so best football brain best athlete and best finisher Van Nisteluy I think best finisher best athlete

22:44Dan Fletcher really yeah he was the fittest always fittest to all the running did you do like bleep tests and was he like yeah well I was clever so I used to drop out just after the goalkeepers no because then the next time you do it I knew I'd just have to go a little bit more to beat beat myself oh fair play okay okay so I used to think manipulate your own stats and I never drop out before the keepers but as soon as the keepers drop out I'm presuming keepers always go first go out first so you were the first outfield player out yeah there was a few of us who had the same idea as well and then Fletcher so Fletcher'd always finish it so every time he does it he's got to finish it I feel like it's surely Sir Alex cottoned onto that pretty quickly though so yeah no you used to drop out and take him struggling you could have gone on a lot further so that was he's best athlete yeah best football brain probably say two I'd say scolding gigs okay see them two really understood the game well because they both changed positions Paddock as well how different this is from Chris in Welling was the pressure of playing for England compared to club football?

23:57Yeah, it was different, obviously. It's an honour to play for your country and get picked to play for England. But yeah, the pressure of playing for England was big.

24:12And there's a perception that we didn't do well. We all tried to win for England. We all give everything to win. We just didn't manage to do it. But that pressure is there. It was difficult for some players more than others. I always wonder what it's like coming back from a tournament, particularly when it hasn't gone as you'd hope. That must be horrible because a lot of people supported Man United and Man United is one of the most well-known football teams in the world. But you come back to England and it feels like everyone, like all my friends watch it when they don't normally watch football, everyone's talking about it.

24:47What's it like coming back from a tournament like that? You've got to get out of there. Really? Yeah, people think you don't care because you've got to have a tournament and then the next day they might see you in Ibiza or somewhere. But you've literally got 10 days for your holiday. So if you come back to England and you're there for five days, you literally get back to England and go and try and have your holiday because you've got 10 days before you're back into pre-season going again. So it's not that you don't care or you're just thinking... You just need a holiday, you're human. You need a rest.

25:24It's your only chance to go away. This is from Tomo Car Design. Where was that? Yeah. I thought that was actually a surname, but it's just Car Design. Might be. Might be a surname. I don't think it is. What did Sir Alex Ferguson tell you before you ended Arsenal's 49 game unbeaten run? In dive.

25:47No, I think for all of us, because that was my it was my 1930 that game and that was my first season at Man United and it was the year after what happened with Van Nistelrooy and Keown and all the Arsenal players it was the game we're all tough the next game we're all tough after that one the year before so it was you could feel it the intensity the you know just the the whole atmosphere was they're not winning they can't win here today they can't go 50 games unbeaten. So to feel that, and then obviously we win the game 2-0 and then it all kicked off in the tunnel and whatever. But yeah, that was brilliant because that was almost like a revenge.

26:35He ran this until he got the penalty, obviously, where he missed the year before, then he scored this one. You could see the emotion on him after he scored celebrating. So he didn't really have to say anything. I think everyone in there you can feel it and I just come in to win I can feel there's no way he's going to win Well thank you very much to Wayne for answering those and thank you to you guys at home for sending them in I'm sure we'll do another episode like that very soon A reminder you can watch and listen to the Wayne Rooney show we're on the BBC Sport YouTube page the iPlayer and on BBC Sounds and we'll see you again very soon Bye bye

27:18Good morning, good evening from Melbourne. The Australian Open. How are they both feeling? The nerves, the tension, what's at stake? Unbelievable. What a ride. Between now and the end of the tournament, we will bring you a daily pod recapping the biggest stories and the best of the action on the All About Australian Open feed. The Australian Open 2026. Join us for our live coverage on Tennis Breakfast every morning from 7am on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds. It's 2009 and we're in the German mountains. A man straps himself into a car on the world's most dangerous racetrack. He whispers to himself, It's time to put my balls on the dashboard.

28:00As he starts the engine. In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire. This is Toto Wolff, Formula One's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive to Survive. This week on Good Bad Billionaire, how Toto Wolff made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts.