Everton manager David Moyes has said he owes a lot to Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, and believes his team shot into prominence only after the rise of the England forward.
It has been 10 years since Rooney announced himself beyond Everton with that stunning winning goal against Arsenal, his first in the Premier League arriving before he turned 17 and could sign a professional contract.
Moyes was the Everton manager who gave Rooney his debut, and believes it had a weighty effect on his own Goodison Park career.
"I always say Wayne Rooney helped me as a manager. He got my name out there. I was the manager who was playing Wayne Rooney and for that I'll always be grateful that Wayne was at Everton when I arrived," the Daily Mirror quoted Moyes, as saying.
"I was able to put him into the team and all the media and public saw one of England's finest, if not their finest player. It helped my profile and I think it helped Everton as well. It drew more attention to them. I have a lot to be thankful to Wayne Rooney for, for being on the doorstep when I walked in here," he added.
"I think he has gone on to be the player we hoped he would be. He has been an exceptional player, at the very top, for 10 years. He has won a European Cup and titles and other cups. It's not his fault England aren't doing as well as people would like. Generally England haven't done that well for a long time," he said. (ANI)
