No1 v Newcastle, 24 April 2005 A goal behind at home to Newcastle, Rooney equalised in the most spectacular fashion. Without breaking stride he galloped on to Peter Ramage’s headed clearance and from 25 yards unleashed a volley with the outside of his right foot that dipped and swerved past Shay Given into the top cornerPhotograph: Jon Super/APNo2 v Portsmouth, 27 January 2007 Echoes of Eric Cantona as Rooney won this FA Cup tie with the most exquisite of disguised chips. Receiving the ball 25 yards from goal he first killed the ball with a deft left-footed touch before advancing three steps and hoisting over David James the most perfectly weighted chip that kissed the underside of the crossbarPhotograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action ImagesNo3 v Middlesbrough, 29 January 2005 Roy Carroll’s long punt downfield was flicked on by Louis Saha and, given an unwise amount of time and room by the Boro defence, Rooney coolly waited for the ball to drop before smashing a right-foot volley across Mark Schwarzer and into the top left-hand cornerPhotograph: Ian Hodgson/ReutersNo4 v Fenerbahce, 28 September 2004 To complete his debut hat-trick the 18-year-old took hold of the ball when United were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area, dead plum in front of the goal. With senior team-mates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Gabriel Heinze watching Rooney curled the ball up and over the wall, well beyond Rustu in the Fenerbahce goalPhotograph: Ian Hodgson/ReutersNo5 v Arsenal, 9 April 2006 It was scoreless at Old Trafford against Arsenal when Mikael Silvestre pinged a powerful diagonal ball into the visitors’ penalty area, which Rooney killed dead as if it were a bag of ball bearings dropped on his foot and not a 50-yard pass hit at pace. With his next touch he swept a right-foot shot beyond Jens LehmannPhotograph: Tom JenkinsNo6 v Middlesbrough, 29 January 2005 A vintage game for Rooney, producing two of his greatest goals in a red shirt. This, the opener, did take advantage of the fact that Mark Schwarzer was well off his line, but the level of skill and confidence required to chip a rolling ball over the Australian from 30 yards rather than take it forward and beat him from close range speaks volumes about the manPhotograph: Chris Coleman/Man Utd via Getty ImagesNo7 v Reading, 19 January 2008 Steve Coppell’s men looked like grinding out a second 0–0 of the season against the champions before Rooney raced between two defenders on to an angled ball from Carlos Tevez and, with the most deft of flicks of the right ankle, directed the ball beyond Marcus HahnemannPhotograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty ImagesNo8 v Watford, 31 January 2007 Victory already secured, Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo decide to have a little fun – the Portuguese received possession deep in Watford territory and quick as a flash dinked the ball over the top for his accomplice to run on to. Not one to beat about the bush, Rooney taps a lob over Richard Lee’s headPhotograph: Martin Rickett/PANo9 v Newcastle, 12 March 2006 The striker will miss Newcastle – their relegation has robbed him of his favourite victims and he rarely scuffed them home against the Toon. Ramage (who must have nightmares about Rooney) underhit a backpass and the United forward showed the presence of mind to open his body and scoop a chip over the rapidly advancing Shay GivenPhotograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty ImagesNo2 v Milan, 24 April 2007 A goal down at home to Milan and Rooney bags a second-half brace to keep the tie alive. The best of the two saw him race on to a throughball from Giggs and from the very corner of the area smash a first-time shot low past Dida at his near postPhotograph: Tom Jenkins
