An unexpected restaurant encounter turned frustration into a rare keepsake. Discover the story behind Maradona's memorable gift to the Manchester United icon.
Wayne Rooney has kept for years a special souvenir from an evening in Manchester: an elegant tie that Diego Maradona gave him in person after unexpectedly bumping into each other at a restaurant, following a tense night sparked by a decision from Sir Alex Ferguson in a Champions League match.
According to the former England footballer's account on the latest episode of his program, "The Wayne Rooney Show," the unusual anecdote turned a frustrating day into a memorable moment, thanks to the gesture from the Argentine star, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The story dates back to the night of February 13, 2013, when Manchester United faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu during the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
Rooney especially remembered that match, calling the Merengue's venue his favorite stadium in Europe and describing the play that led to the equalizer: "Danny Welbeck scored a header. I took the corner kick, Welbeck scored, and we drew 1-1," the retired forward said in his account.
Despite his good performance, Rooney explained that Sir Alex Ferguson, then United's manager, decided to relegate him to the bench for the second leg.
"He left me on the bench. Ferguson called me aside and told me I was going to be left out, which infuriated me, because I had played out of position and helped the team get a good away draw, but we lost 2-1 that night," he recalled.
The decision left the forward visibly upset and marked by a feeling of frustration that he carried after the match.
Back in Manchester and still upset by his manager's decision, Rooney chose to dine at the restaurant Wing's, a well-known local spot frequented by Premier League footballers.
"That night I went to Wing's in a tracksuit, and Maradona was there," Rooney recounted. Describing the surprising encounter, he added, "I took a photo with him and everything. He was wearing a full suit and tie, and he gave me his tie.
It was a bit strange; he took it off, put it on me, me still in my club tracksuit." The forward acknowledged the moment was as unexpected as it was significant, literally giving him "something good" on a night that had started in the worst way.
The Argentine's presence in Manchester that night was no coincidence. Maradona attended Old Trafford to watch the match and, in those years, frequently visited the city, as his daughter Giannina was married to then-City forward Sergio Aguero.
The admiration between the two footballers was publicly recognized. Nearly 10 years before that encounter, Maradona had praised Rooney's talent after seeing him debut for the England national team at just 17 years old in Euro 2004 qualifying against Macedonia.
"Players who can become true world-class stars don't appear that often," Diego said back then, calling Rooney "a special talent that the English must value."
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