'People think I'm uneducated' - getting to know Wayne Rooney

The Football Interview is a new series in which the biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations about the nation's favourite sport. We'll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The Football Interview brings you the person behind the player.

Interviews will drop on Saturdays across BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website. They will also run on BBC One on a Saturday after Match of the Day.

———————————————————

Wayne Rooney will always be regarded as one of England's best strikers.

Rooney scored 53 goals in 120 appearances for his country and won the Premier League five times with Manchester United, as well as lifting the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during a glittering career.

He will be one of the pundits on the BBC's Match of the Day throughout the season, giving his views on all the latest Premier League action.

Before that, he sat down with Kelly Somers in the first of a weekly BBC feature called The Football Interview to discuss his career, his life away from football and his family.

• Watch the full Football Interview with Rooney on BBC iPlayer

Kelly Somers: What does football mean to you?

Wayne Rooney: As a young boy, it's all I ever wanted to do - to play football, at school, in the house, on the streets. The emotion of the game, of trying to win, the excitement. It was a massive adrenaline rush. Then I was fortunate enough to go on and play professionally and have a good, long career. Now I'm living in a different way as a parent, with my children involved in football. It's something that will always be with me.

KS: Can you remember your first team?

WR: Yes, it was the Copplehouse Colts - an under-nines team. I think I was about seven. I scored a lot of goals and used to keep the games on the fridge in the house. My mum would do it with me. We would write the game down, what the score was and if I scored. We did that every season. When you're young, there are a lot of goals scored. It was really special.

KS: Was there one moment - maybe a turning point - that enabled you to go on and do what you do?

WR: Yes, I always remember when I was about 14 - I was doing things you shouldn't be doing. Colin Harvey was the under-19s manager at the time. He saw me crossing the road with a bag of cider, which of course was wrong. He pulled me in and said: 'If you keep doing this, you are going to throw everything - your talent, your ability - away. You need to focus yourself because you have the ability to go on and play for not just Everton - but England.'

From then was when I thought, 'I need to stop doing it'. I stopped going out with my mates quite a lot and purely focused on football. I think that conversation with Colin Harvey was definitely the turning point.

KS: Is there one person who has had the biggest impact on your career?

WR: I couldn't say one. My mum and dad equally. I see it now when I'm taking my kids to football. My mum didn't drive and my dad worked, so I used to have to take three buses with my mum at times.

Both my mum and dad had huge roles to play and, as a kid, you probably don't appreciate it. You take it for granted - the stress, the work they put in. I have two brothers and they had to do it for them as well. It's only when you have kids you see it and understand the sacrifices they had to make.

We have four boys and they are all in different places, so me and Coleen are often in different places. The kids always want me to be there, so I have to mix up what I go and watch. It's non-stop really, every day of the week.

Wayne Rooney made his Premier League debut for Everton against Tottenham aged 16 in August 2002

KS: You played in some huge matches. If there was one match you could go back and relive and you can change the outcome - which would it be?

WR: If I had to choose one, I'd say the Arsenal FA Cup final in 2005. The performance, how we played against a very good Arsenal team... and then we lost on penalties. I would say that is the one I would change, because it was one we probably deserved to win.

Also the Croatia game, which I didn't play in, for England. We needed to draw or win the game to qualify for Euro 2008. That was horrible - being there behind the players on the bench, sitting there and watching them. Then seeing what happened with Steve McClaren on the touchline. Rain was pouring down - losing the game and not going to Euro 2008... that was one time I felt embarrassed about being a player.

KS: When you finished playing, did you always know you wanted to try management. Did you know you wanted to try the media? What was that decision like?

WR: With management, it was something I always wanted to go into. I saw it as a challenge. I always want in life to be challenged and take things head on, but also understood that there's a chance it might go wrong as well. But I don't mind taking that risk and challenge.

Some former players might wait for the perfect opportunity. The Derby County one... I was playing there and Phillip Cocu got sacked. We went into administration. It was a really tough start to management but I felt we did a really good job.

At DC United, when we went there, I felt we did a good job even though it doesn't get portrayed that way. They had finished bottom the three seasons before we went there and we got them to within a point of the play-offs.

The Birmingham one, everything was wrong - the timing of it, the fans didn't really give me an opportunity, we lost games. It felt right at the time but looking back at it, it wasn't.

And at Plymouth, we were doing OK for what we had and then the decision was made. After that I thought, 'I don't know why I am putting myself in these positions'. I looked into doing punditry, did bits and enjoyed it and felt the time was right. So here I am!

Wayne Rooney will be among the pundits on Match of the Day this season

KS: What type of pundit is Wayne Rooney going to be?

WR: I think I'm quite fair and honest really - that is the only way to be. I say this as a player, a manager, and now as a pundit - it's the same values. The fans aren't stupid. If you expect me to sit there and try and sugar-coat things which fans can see, I don't think I should be doing it.

There are some pundits out there who try and go over the top as well. All I can do is try and be fair with what I'm seeing and give my honest opinion. I am sure some players or managers might get annoyed with that but you have to be honest. Wayne Rooney the player probably wouldn't like Wayne Rooney the pundit, and I get that.

We used to think 'why would pundits say that?' but when you finish playing you realise why pundits say things. I've been criticised by many pundits as a player and I was never one to phone them up and complain - it actually drove me a bit more to think, 'next time you are speaking, you are saying good things'.

I want to see Man Utd do well, of course I do, but I'm very good mates with Jonny Evans and I criticised him last season. If you're speaking truthfully on what you feel then it makes it very difficult for a player to come to you and question why you're saying things.

Wayne and Coleen Rooney pictured earlier this year

KS: How do you switch off and relax?

WR: I always try to have some time just to sit there and if watching a TV series I just chill with a glass of wine and just switch off from everything.

It's important just to switch your mind off from everything really. I used to do this as a player and leave anything football-wise at the gate. I would come in and wouldn't even talk about football.

KS: It must be hard to switch off from football with your boys - Kai is in Manchester United's academy and seems to be doing well

WR: Yes, he's doing really well. I was at my cousin's wedding at the weekend. They were doing the speeches and I had my phone and was watching Kai playing in Croatia. I jumped up - he scored in the last minute - but he was offside!

He loves it. He wants to be a football player, that's the most important thing. He wants to do it and he is working hard to try to do it.

KS: Describe what he is like

WR: He plays as a striker, plays off the right. He's strong, not the tallest, but he will be taller than me.

He understands the game fantastically and he thinks about it. He comes home, cooks for himself, he speaks fluent Spanish, so he is doing everything he can to try to live his dream.

Over the last few months it has been the first time I've been able to go on a consistent basis.

KS: Do you coach him from the sidelines?

WR: No. I think it's important he listens to his coaches. I can give my thoughts afterwards, which a lot of the time is the same as the coaches. There are a lot of other parents that are doing the shouting on the touchline so I stay quiet! I have a conversation with him on the way home and ask him what happened, what he could do better, how he feels about the game and that way suits him.

KS: What is your favourite film?

WR: It was The Shawshank Redemption but I think over the last few years I'm going to have to say The Wolf of Wall Street.

I also love Sister Act - I love musicals!

KS: Before what important game did you watch Sister Act?

WR: It was before the Champions League final! It was just the longest afternoon. I always tried to watch a movie before an evening game.

KS: Tell me something about you that will surprise me

WR: The one thing I can think of is I cry at everything on TV - X-Factor when people go through, I start crying. As a player I was quite aggressive, but I'm actually quite soft really.

KS: What do people get wrong about you the most?

WR: It's no secret that I didn't even take GCSEs but I think people assume because of that that I'm not educated, which is really wrong.

I made a conscious effort when I was at Everton and Manchester United to educate myself in a lot of different things, such as black history and religion. The reason I did that was because I wanted to hold conversations with my team-mates who are from different backgrounds.

That was something I did to help me with my team-mates and help understand how they have been brought up. That's probably something people don't understand about me.

KS: What are you most proud of?

WR: With family, that's the main thing. That's why you do things. Being a bit older and seeing my kids grow into teenagers, I'm helping them grow up in life. That's what I'm proud of - that's what I do everything for.

KS: If you could only achieve or do one thing in the rest of your life what would it be?

WR: Maybe become the next James Bond!