Wayne Rooney names “best” Everton teammate, Pele watched one of his debuts

da luck： Former Everton striker Wayne Rooney has revealed the best teammate he has during his time as a Blues player, with Pele even watching his debut at another club.

Rooney's love for Everton

da bet esporte： For a while, Rooney’s reputation at Everton was damaged because of his decision to join Manchester United as a teenager, having emerged as the most exciting young player in the country.

The England legend returned to Goodison Park later in his career, however, which went down well, and he has revealed in the past how much it hurt to leave the Blues first time around.

“I knew before Euro 2004 that I was getting touted to other teams because Everton needed the money. Certain individuals were going in to other clubs saying, ‘Would you take Wayne Rooney for £30 million?’. I was heartbroken. I mean, I loved the club and wanted to play for Everton but once I found that out, I was devastated.

“To be honest, I would have left at some point – of course, I would have to better myself and go and win trophies – but I was devastated. So I thought, you know what? Okay. I was getting pushed to join Chelsea because they were offering the most money but I didn’t want to go. I wanted to go to Manchester United. It was less money for Everton but that’s where I wanted to play.”

Rooney revealed "best" ever Everton teammate

Speaking to Everton’s X account in the past, Rooney revealed that Thomas Gravesen is the best player he shared a pitch with for the Blues: “I would probably say that Thomas Gravesen is the best player I’ve played with.”

Gravesen is a choice that will likely be met positively by Everton fans, with the Dane a hugely popular player during his time at Goodison.

He possessed both technical ability on the ball and tenacity out of possession, and his quality is highlighted by the fact that he earned a move to Real Madrid in 2005.

In fact, Pele was even present to watch his debut at the Santiago Bernabeu, and legendary manager Fabio Capello heaped praise on him at the time.

“He has been playing very well in front of the Madrid defence and is also very effective at helping build their attacks. He is turning into a very important player for them, as Madrid had problems in that position before he arrived. They were all over the place there. Now, with his arrival, there is more balance to the team.”

If Gravesen were asked the same question, Rooney could easily get his vote, considering he is among the greatest English footballers of his generation, and it’s just a shame that they didn’t spend longer together at Everton.