WAYNE ROONEY has recalled the moment Sir Alex Ferguson caught him in the pub during his early days at Old Trafford.
The former striker made a £25m move to Manchester United from Everton in 2004.
He would go on to become the record goalscorer for the Red Devils – but would occasionally clash with his manager and find trouble off the field.
Rooney recalled one of his first awkward moments with Ferguson in his book “Wayne Rooney: My Decade in the Premier League”.
The star, who currently manages DC United, reminisced about an incident where Ferguson caught him in a pub not long after his transfer.
He said: “The manager seemed like a really good bloke, but the next day I experienced his legendary influence first hand.
“It was a nice afternoon so I drove over to Crocky (Croxteth in Liverpool) to see the family. On the way, I spotted Mum and Dad in the car park of the local pub and I pulled over to say hello. We decided to go in for a drink, a diet pop for me.
“I was only there for 10 or 15 minutes before I went home, but a day later, the manager called me into his office. My first summons.
“[Ferguson said] ‘Wayne, what were you doing in that pub in Croxteth yesterday?’”
Almost a decade on from his retirement, Ferguson remains a legendary figure in football and is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
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The Scotsman won 13 Premier League titles at Manchester United and landed the Champions League twice.
But he did have a tendency to have run-ins with stars.
Ferguson had explosive fall-outs with David Beckham and Roy Keane and also clashed with Jaap Stam before the defender left the club.
Rooney also faced the wrath of Ferguson in 2010 when he openly claimed he wanted to leave Old Trafford.
The legendary manager, now 80, also said in 2013 that Rooney handed in a transfer request.
The forward would stay at United all the way until 2017, several years after Ferguson retired.
He then returned to boyhood club Everton before stints at D.C. United and Derby County, two clubs he would later go on to manage.
