Wayne Rooney

The striker for both Manchester United and the England national football team, Wayne Rooney is one of the most exciting prospects of modern football. Rooney began playing for Everton's youth under-19 squad in 2000, gaining widespread notoriety during the 2002 FA Youth Cup when he scored eight goals in eight games. He made his professional debut with Everton FC in 2004 and was considered their biggest signing of that year. Two years later, Rooney transferred to Manchester United for a reported £49 million, turning him into one of the most expensive players in the country.

Rooney joined the English national team at 17 and went on to become the youngest player to ever represent his country. He then became England's youngest ever goalscorer when he scored against Macedonia during a Euro 2004 qualifier. Despite his success, Wayne Rooney is in danger of being known as much for his temper as his ability to play football. He picked up 12 yellow cards during the 2003-2004 season, and was lucky in one match not to be removed from the game. He faced similar trouble in 2006 when he picked up a pre-season red card that caused him to miss three matches and severely impacted his level of play for the rest of the season. His frequent on-field tantrums have also caused the English Schools' Football Association to drop him from a guest appearance claiming he was not a good role model for young players.