Rooney never won a Merseyside derby during his time at Everton, but he was involved in many top-of-the-table matches against Liverpool for Manchester United, who, like Everton, also consider the six-time European Cup winners as bitter rivals.
Liverpool’s captain for the majority of Rooney’s time at Old Trafford was his England team-mate Steven Gerrard, who Manchester United’s record goalscorer regarded as a friend.
But Rooney spoke openly about his desire to let the Liverpool midfielder feel his presence when they played against each other.
“We were good mates off the pitch and whenever I got a chance I’m thinking, ‘I’m going to absolutely smash you’, and I did. He did the same to me,” Rooney said.
“You wouldn’t talk to him before the game and then after the game you shake each other’s hand.
“If there was ever a chance he knew [I’d challenge him], and I knew if he got a chance he was going to do me, so that’s what football is. You’re playing for your club and there’s moments and big players as well, especially a Gerrard or a [Patrick] Vieira. If you get an opportunity, you can’t let that slip, you’ve got to take it.”
Rooney also namechecked another England team-mate, Jamie Carragher, as a player who used to wind him up in matches against Liverpool.
“There were a couple of times when Carragher was in your ear. Carragher liked to referee the games and the referee used to let him. He was non-stop and he had that squeaky voice screaming down your ear,” Rooney said.
“Sometimes as well, when we’re winning the game, maybe 2-0 up, and I’d ask Carra what he’s doing tonight. Are you going out, where are you going? And then he’d be the same and try and wind you up as well.
“Carra did it in a clever way. I was a bit too emotional at times. There were times when I’d talk to centre-backs and if the centre-backs are trying to do you, and get into you, I’d always wait until we were winning by a goal or two and tell them they were crap. That was it really.”
