September 07, (THEWILL) – Wayne Rooney demonstrated his enduring skill by scoring a remarkable free-kick during a charity match between Manchester United and Celtic at Old Trafford on Saturday.
The 38-year-old former United striker, who left the club in 2017, donned the famous number 10 jersey once again for this special occasion. The game remained scoreless until just before half-time when United were awarded a free-kick outside Celtic’s penalty area.
Rooney stepped up and curled the ball into the top corner, leaving Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc rooted to the spot. The goal delighted the Old Trafford crowd and reminded everyone of Rooney’s exceptional talent.
Rooney, who recently became manager of Plymouth Argyle, played alongside former teammates, including Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, and Darren Fletcher. The match also featured United legends Paul Scholes and Dimitar Berbatov. Before the game, Rooney had expressed his excitement about returning to Old Trafford for a good cause.
Celtic equalised through Gary Hooper, sending the match to a penalty shootout. Despite successful penalties from Rooney, Denis Irwin, and Fletcher, United lost the shootout after Danny Webber’s miss. Celtic scored all five of their penalties to win the charity game.
The match raised funds for the Manchester United Foundation and Celtic FC Foundation. While the result favoured Celtic, the lasting memory of the day will undoubtedly be Rooney’s stunning free-kick, which proved that his footballing ability remains intact despite his transition into management.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
