Newly-appointed Plymouth Argyle manager Wayne Rooney has opened up about his time in the United States, most notably a memorable round of golf played with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking to his former Manchester United and England teammate Gary Neville on his show “The Overlap,” Rooney recalled how the game came together. At the time, Rooney was at Major League Soccer side D.C. United, for which he played for in 2018 and 2019 and later managed. The game occurred in 2019 at Trump National Golf Club, outside of D.C.
“(He’d) asked me to give his son (Barron) football lessons,” said Rooney, “and (Barron) said ‘Do you want to see my dad?’ He took me up into the Oval Office and then from there, his (personal assistant) was just texting — ’do you want to play a few holes (of golf?)’”
GO DEEPER
Rooney named Plymouth Argyle head coach
At the time, Barron Trump played on a D.C. United academy team. He is an avid football fan, and was once photographed having a kickabout on the White House lawn wearing an Arsenal jersey. He was photographed standing alongside Rooney at the White House Christmas party in 2018, which Rooney attended as a guest of the President.
Advertisement
Joining Rooney and Trump for their round of golf was former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani, then the President’s lawyer.
“The maddest thing about it was we had Giuliani in the buggy (golf cart) behind us,” Rooney said, laughing, “then there were about 50-100 golf buggies that were all security. There was a boat in the lake with snipers, there were snipers in the bushes, and I was like ‘What’s going on here?!’”
View this post on Instagram
Trump is a polarizing figure in the United States and Rooney’s visit with the President in 2018 caused a minor stir amongst D.C. United’s fanbase. The Manchester United legend was quick to clarify the nature of his visit back then, telling a Washington Post reporter that it had been apolitical and “purely a decision to take my family to see the White House … the opportunity to take my kids (there) Was something we felt we couldn’t turn down.”
It is not uncommon for athletes from all sports to visit the White House, typically as part of a championship celebration. Other American soccer figures over the years have also made individual visits — Brazilian legend Pelé once juggled a ball with former President Gerald Ford and later President Jimmy Carter, while members of Team America, an American side from the early 80’s, visited with President Ronald Reagan. Major League Soccer clubs regularly visited the White House but the last team to do so was the LA Galaxy, which visited the Barack Obama White House in 2015 after winning MLS Cup 2014.
Earlier in 2018, while visiting D.C. ahead of his first game with the club, Rooney dined with a friend at the now-shuttered Trump International Hotel, though he did not stay there.
“I know a lot of people in the States have an opinion for the president or against the president,” Rooney told the Washington Post at the time, “and that’s their personal choice. It’s not my choice.”
GO DEEPER
What we can glean from Wayne Rooney's first two coaching stints
(Photo: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)