Former England footballer Wayne Rooney has revealed that he was once close to playing for the Republic of Ireland. Despite later becoming one of England’s greatest players, he had the chance to represent another country early in his career.

Speaking on The Overlap podcast, Rooney shared that former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy approached him in 2003 when he was just 16. At that time, he was a rising star at Everton.

Rooney explained, “Mick called me when I was 16. I also spoke to Lee Carsley, and he talked to Mick about it.” He was interested but had one condition: he wanted to be part of the senior team. “They wanted me to play for Ireland’s U21 team, but I said no. If they wanted me, they should pick me for the main team,” Rooney added.

However, things didn’t work out, and soon after, he started playing for England. Rooney went on to have an incredible international career, earning 120 caps and scoring 53 goals for the Three Lions.

Although he never played for Ireland, his connection to the country remains strong. His family has Irish roots, which is why he was eligible to play for them.

Would football history have been different if Rooney had chosen Ireland? Fans can only wonder.