GARY NEVILLE has spectacularly claimed Wayne Rooney ‘threw the odd punch, but never when someone didn’t deserve it’.
Manchester United legend Rooney, 35, will be he subject of an explosive documentary coming to Amazon Prime in early 2022.
The show will look at the now-Derby boss’ career on and off the pitch – from his childhood growing up in Croxteth, Merseyside to his turbulent marriage to Coleen.
And in one incredible clip, former United and England team-mate Neville opens up on Rooney’s aggressive streak.
During the documentary, Neville claims: “He played like he’s a street kid.
“Of course, he threw the odd punch… but I never saw him throw a punch when they didn’t deserve it.”
Rooney himself admits he ‘wasn’t the nicest kid’ and suggested fighting was a way of life for him growing up in Liverpool.
In one scene, Roo recalls: “I was brought up to fight… fight for everything. That will never leave me.
“I grew up in Croxteth. If you’re from there, you don’t think it’s a violent place.
“But I’ve had full on arguments with my dad and he’d give me a slap.
“I wasn’t the nicest kid. I had a lot of fights when I was younger.”
Even former Premier League rival and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry could tell Roo had a mean streak.
In the Amazon show, the Frenchman claims: “You looked at him and you knew: He wanted to destroy everything that was in front of him.”
Most-infamously, Rooney was sent-off after lashing out at Cristiano Ronaldo – who would become his team-mate later that summer – at Euro 2004.
He was also infamously filmed having a boxing fight with fellow pro Phil Bardsley in his kitchen – and getting knocked out.
Rooney went on to address his numerous off-field scandals.
But he emotionally admitted he wants to be be remembers for ‘who I am, not what I’ve done’.
In the documentary, he claims: “What people don’t understand is, you’re 17 years of age… there’s going to be mistakes made.
“People still look at me in a different way. But it’s important that people remember me for who I am rather than what I’ve done.
“Football is, and will be, part of my life until the day I die… whether I like it or not.”
Elsewhere in the documentary, Coleen reveals she’s ‘forgiven’ Rooney for his antics, but admits they’re ‘not acceptable’.
*’Rooney’ will launch worldwide exclusively on Prime Video in early 2022, the official trailer is available to watch here.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
