Wayne Rooney: What do you consider your greatest achievement?

The question

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

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The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Verbatim recurring item in The Guardian Q&A; two fully readable publisher-hosted respondent pages establish institutional recurrence.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Wayne Rooney

English former footballer and manager; record goalscorer for Manchester United and England

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

This is right up there if not the best – to be your country’s all-time leading goal scorer before the age of 30 is something could never have dreamed of – I’m extremely proud tonight.

The FA, 8 September 2015 source ↗

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Shirley Manson Scottish singer and songwriter; lead vocalist of Garbage

My dog’s trust in me.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 May 2022 source ↗

Rupert Graves English actor

Remembering to do things in order, because I have to transcend my nature, which is haphazard.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 January 2015 source ↗

Joanna Scanlan British actress and writer

Having someone to love.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 31 March 2018 source ↗

Michael Stipe American singer

Deciding what I wanted to do at 15 and, against all odds, doing it.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 11 January 2020 source ↗

More from Wayne Rooney

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Question What is your favourite side project? Craft & work

I used to love writing poems. Before I was with Coleen, just normal poems

Recorded Rooney - The Man Behind The Goals, BBC Sport, 29 September 2015 source ↗

Question What has been your biggest disappointment? Failure & regret

It was. I just expected more.

Recorded Rooney - The Man Behind The Goals, BBC Sport, 29 September 2015 source ↗

Question Which teacher, parent, coach or friend most made you who you are, and what did you learn from them? Relationships

I think the first real big influence was Colin Harvey [former Everton coach], I went and played for the U19s for Colin when I was 14, and that's really when the tactical part of the game came in.

Recorded The Boot Room, The FA, 11 June 2021 source ↗

Question What are you unwilling to optimise? Values & belief

I'm not going to be dieting or trying to lose any weight, because I want to be as strong as possible.

Recorded Paul Wilson, The Guardian, 13 June 2004 source ↗

Question What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you have ever made — of money, time, or energy? Money & investment

I think it was 2009/2010; I didn't score many headed goals. I spent about ten months practising after training, just working on my heading and then I went on a run of scoring 15 headed goals in a row.

Recorded The Boot Room, The FA, 11 June 2021 source ↗

Question What are you most proud of? Identity & self

With family, that's the main thing. That's why you do things. Being a bit older and seeing my kids grow into teenagers, I'm helping them grow up in life. That's what I'm proud of - that's what I do everything for.

Recorded Kelly Somers, BBC Sport's The Football Interview, 16 August 2025 source ↗

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