Wayne Rooney explains why he partied with Manchester City players after 6-1 derby defeat
United's record scorer told his BBC podcast he could not cancel a planned birthday gathering despite the Old Trafford humiliation
Wayne Rooney said he attended a birthday party that included Manchester City players the night United suffered a 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford in October 2011 because he could not cancel plans made by friends and family.
Rooney, speaking on his BBC podcast The Wayne Rooney Show with Shaun Wright-Phillips, described the loss as "horrible" and recalled feeling desperate to leave the pitch during the second half as goals kept coming. "It was like in the second half, just felt like it was goal after goal, and you're just like, 'oh, get me off this pitch'," he said. He added that he normally would have gone straight home after a result like that but had a birthday party arranged and chose to go so as not to disappoint guests who had organised time off and babysitters.
Rooney said several City players, including Joe Hart and Gareth Barry, were at the party along with United teammates. He recalled that he, Peter Crouch and Hart performed a Backstreet Boys song, and reflected that "looking back, I should have cancelled," but stressed the social commitments involved.
The conversation also revisited other defining derby moments from Rooney's career. He reflected on his overhead kick at the Etihad in February 2011 — an acrobatic winner in a 2-1 victory that later won the Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons award — but said his overall performance that night was poor. "I was so bad in that game. It's one of the worst games I've ever played. I couldn't control a ball," Rooney said, while adding that the goal's status is tied to its derby context and the result.
Rooney named another derby memory as his favourite: a 1-0 win in 2007 secured by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty that helped United clinch the Premier League title the next day. For Rooney, that match marked his first league title, and he recalled the celebrations that followed.
The podcast episode also included a discussion between Rooney and Wright-Phillips about the pressures on children of former professionals. Wright-Phillips, whose father Ian Wright is an Arsenal legend and whose son D'Margio plays for Belgian club Beerschot, described the extra scrutiny young players can face. He said his daughter had already experienced harsh reactions from other parents at 11 and advised young players to "just play your game" and answer critics on the pitch rather than react emotionally.
Wright-Phillips spoke about D'Margio's career path, noting a promising period at Stoke followed by injuries, loan moves and managerial changes that left the player needing to adapt to setbacks. "Now he's learning how to deal with the downside of football," he said, describing how those experiences are part of professional development.
Rooney confirmed similar pressures affect his son Kai, who has appeared for Manchester United's Under-18 side this season despite being 15. He said the presence of high-profile players' children on the same teams can multiply crowd interest and scrutiny. "There's a bit more pressure on them as well," Rooney said, describing larger crowds and heightened expectations when stars' sons are on the pitch together.
The Wayne Rooney Show is available on BBC Sport's YouTube channel, iPlayer and BBC Sounds, where the former England forward and his guests reflect on career moments and issues affecting modern football.