Wayne Rooney’s hilarious reason for demanding a photo of Newcastle legend Kevin Keegan was removed

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Wayne Rooney has revealed he once demanded the FA remove a photo of Newcastle United legend Kevin Keegan from his room at St George’s Park. 

The FA opened St George’s Park in 2012 as an elite-level training base for all England teams.

Rooney was a leading part of the Three Lions squad at the time. While the famous ‘Golden Generation’ was coming to an end, the Manchester United icon remained his country’s star player. 

As an Old Trafford legend and a proud Evertonian, however, Rooney had little time for Keegan’s photo hanging up on the wall in his room. 

Indeed, as well as being one of the most important figures in Newcastle United history, Keegan is also a Liverpool great. Across a six-year spell at Anfield between 1971 and 1977, he won three league titles, the FA Cup, the European Cup and two UEFA Cups while scoring 100 goals in 332 games. 

• READ MORE: Newcastle United’s best manager ever: Where does Eddie Howe rank against Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson?

Wayne Rooney demanded Kevin Keegan’s photo was removed

Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show over the September 2025 international break, Rooney revealed he simply couldn’t stand having a photo of a Liverpool legend hanging on the wall over his bed. 

Though Keegan was wearing his England strip in the photo, it still wasn’t something Rooney could stomach.

In fact, he even asked the FA to replace it with a photo himself. 

“When we first went in we’d always have the same room and they had pictures of England legends in every room,” he said.

“My room had Kevin Keegan, there’s no way I’m going to bed every night with a Liverpool legend’s picture on my wall.

“I made them take it down and they put a picture of myself.”

Wayne Rooney was open to joining Newcastle United

Oh, what could have been.

Rooney is undoubtedly one of the greatest players English football has ever produced and while he is very strongly associated with Manchester United and Everton, he was open to joining the Magpies.

Newcastle were interested in Rooney before he left Everton for the Manchester giants in 2004. It was an ambitious move at the time and it’s not particularly surprising that he ended up joining Sir Alex Ferguson’s side instead. 

Still, Rooney has revealed he would have liked to have signed for Newcastle so he could play under the great Sir Bobby Robson. 

Speaking to Amazon Prime in March 2025, Rooney said: “There was interest from Newcastle United when I was at Everton, I was 18 years of age. I actually spoke to Alan Shearer as well, spoke to Bobby. It probably put a bit more pressure on Manchester United to sign me. 

“He was such a gentleman and it would’ve been great to play for him. I wanted the number nine (shirt), Shearer wouldn’t give me it!”

Rooney scored 208 Premier League goals in 491 appearances, winning five league titles and the Champions League alongside a raft of other cup trophies.