Magic moment: Wayne Rooney's dream debut
Saturday, October 24, 2015
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To celebrate striker Wayne Rooney's 30th birthday, UEFA.com recalls how he marked his UEFA Champions League debut for Manchester United with a famous hat-trick.
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With Wayne Rooney turning 30 today, UEFA.com rewinds to September 2004 when he marked his Manchester United debut with a hat-trick against Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
"I was excited for the game," said Rooney, now captain of United and England, "and it couldn't have gone any better. The first goal I scored was a nice through ball by Ruud [van Nistelrooy] and I managed to hit it over the goalkeeper with my left foot. It was a great relief more than anything because at the time it was a lot of money for a young player. [The third] was a special moment which I'll never forget. To score a hat-trick on your debut in the Champions League was a great feeling."