Wayne Rooney has revealed he came close to joining Chelsea during his youth – but rejected the Blues after discovering their plans for his development. Despite his Merseyside roots and Everton beginnings, Rooney would cement his legacy at Manchester United, becoming the Premier League’s third-highest goalscorer with 208 strikes.

However, the now-40 year old’s trajectory could have been vastly different had he chosen another destination. Speaking to NBC Sports, Rooney disclosed that a switch to Stamford Bridge was nearer than most people knew.

He said: “Everton wanted to sell me to Chelsea, and then Chelsea wanted to send me on loan to Middlesbrough, but I had no intention of signing for Chelsea.”

Rooney was undoubtedly England’s most coveted young prospect at that point. Everton were prepared to hand him the most generous deal in their history – £50,000 per-week.

Newcastle were equally interested and had a £20million offer turned down, with David Moyes declaring he would only sanction the forward’s departure for an appropriate price.

That sum was ultimately matched by Man Utd, who tabled £20m plus £7m in add-ons. Spending £27m on an 18-year-old was practically unprecedented in the early 2000s.

In terms of Rooney’s personal choice, it’s easy to see why he turned down Chelsea. The proposal to loan him to mid-table Middlesbrough seemed illogical for an emerging talent of his calibre.

Before Chelsea made their move, they had a plethora of attacking options at their disposal. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Hernan Crespo and Adrian Mutu were all on their roster.

Looking back, Chelsea might rue missing out on Rooney, but the forward they ended up signing wasn’t too shabby – Didier Drogba.

Chelsea forked out £24m to lure Drogba to Stamford Bridge, making him not only the club’s record signing at that time, but also the priciest striker in English football.

The Ivorian legend went on to clinch four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and an unforgettable Champions League trophy, among a host of domestic accolades.

On a personal level, Drogba bagged two Golden Boots and was ushered into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022, the same year as Rooney.