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Edgar Allen Roo? England striker's poetry secret

Wayne Rooney has gone on to become a superstar for club and country © Getty Images

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It's quite a popular question: What would you be doing if you weren't a professional football?

Wayne Rooney, it seems, wanted to be a poet.

Back in 2002, Dick Bate, now head of Cardiff City's academy, was in charge of England for that year's European Under-17 Championship.

Speaking of a then 16-year-old Rooney, Bate tells Press Association Sport: "He didn't stand out, not in terms of the way he dressed or behaved."

That opinion soon changed.

"His attitude was absolutely first-class," Bate adds. "He was combative without being over-aggressive and I liked that. He was a genuine boy and a genuine footballer."

On April 29, 2002, a crowd of 711 assembled at the Gladsaxe Stadion in Soborg to watch England face Holland - a match in which Rooney scored the third goal for England at various levels of the 52 to date.

After the match, something unexpected happened. After gaining Bate's permission, Rooney stood up and produced a piece of paper from his pocket. On it he had written a poem about how much he loved playing for his country.

He recited the poem called 'When Saturday Comes' to a crowd of nearly 30 silent onlookers.

"I think it took most of the group aback," Bate says. "Here was a young boy just expressing his love for England in the best format and most succinct manner he could.

"I have never seen anyone stand up and do that before. I will never forget it."

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