Top 10 Remarkable and Memorable Seasons of Wayne Rooney

In June 2007, Rooney was given the number 10 shirt, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy. He suffered a broken metatarsal in his left foot in a goalless draw on United's opening day against Reading on August 12, a similar injury he faced in his right foot back in 2004. Rooney missed 10 games but ended the 2007-2008 season with 18 goals (12 in the Premier League), as United clinched the Premier League title. In the first-ever Champions League final against Chelsea, United emerged victorious in a penalty shootout.

On October 4, 2008, in an away win against Blackburn, Rooney became the youngest player to reach 200 appearances in the Premier League. On December 18, Rooney scored two goals in the 5–3 victory in the semifinal against Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the FIFA Club World Cup and, after scoring the decisive goal in the 1–0 win over LDU Quito in the final in Yokohama, was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. He deservedly earned it for his hard work and innovation. With the success he and his team achieved, the 2007/08 season stands out as Rooney's best season at United to date.

On August 28, 2010, Rooney scored his first goal of the season with a penalty in a 3–0 home win against West Ham United. In October, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson announced in a press conference that Rooney wanted to leave the club. Rooney and his representatives issued a statement related to his decision to leave the club, stating it was not about money but ambition. After this statement, Rooney made a dramatic U-turn and agreed to a new 5-year contract with Manchester United until June 2015.

Rooney scored two goals and assisted Nemanja Vidic in a 3–1 home win against Aston Villa. He then continued with a stunning overhead kick in the 78th minute of the Manchester Derby, securing a 2–1 victory over Manchester City. Rooney called it the best goal of his football career. The acrobatic effort from about 10 meters earned Rooney his third BBC Goal of the Season award and made it to the shortlist for the FIFA Puskas Award for Goal of the Year (eventually won by Neymar). On April 2, United was leading by two goals when Rooney scored his first hat-trick of the 2010-2011 season in a 4–2 win against West Ham. It was his fifth hat-trick for Manchester United, with the second goal being his 100th Premier League goal for the club.

United almost missed the chance to win the 2009-2010 season, trailing Chelsea by just 1 point. Rooney took on the leadership role after Cristiano Ronaldo's departure and excelled on the field, scoring 34 goals across all competitions, including 26 in the Premier League. On April 25, 2009, Rooney scored the final goal of the season against Tottenham; United scored five goals in the second half to come from 2–0 down to win 5–2; Rooney scored two goals, assisted two, and won a penalty leading to United's first goal.

On August 22, he became the 20th player for Manchester United to score 100 goals for the club, scoring twice in a 5–0 win against Wigan. Rooney scored a penalty to equalize the match after Andrey Arshavin had put Arsenal ahead in the match at Old Trafford. On November 28, 2009, Rooney scored his first hat-trick in three years in a 4–1 win against Portsmouth away, with two goals coming from penalties. On December 27, 2009, he was awarded the Man of the Match in the game against Hull City. On January 23, 2010, Rooney scored all 4 goals in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Hull; three of the goals came in the last ten minutes of the match. It was the first time in his career that he scored four goals in a single game.

Rooney started the 2011-2012 season with a goal in the opening match at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. Rooney played a one-two with Ashley Young before making a quick turn and shooting from outside the penalty area, sending the ball off the post. He also scored in the second match of the season, at home against Tottenham Hotspur. In late August, Rooney scored his 150th goal for United, the first in a hat-trick, helping defeat Arsenal 8–2. Rooney won the Man of the Match award, scoring two direct free-kicks, a penalty, and contributing an assist for Nani.

Rooney netted another hat-trick in the 5–0 win against Bolton Wanderers on September 10, becoming the fourth player in Premier League history to score hat-tricks in consecutive matches. These goals leveled him with Bobby Charlton for seven United hat-tricks, ranking fourth on the all-time goalscoring list behind Denis Law, Jack Rowley, and Dennis Viollet. Rooney continued his goal-scoring form, opening the score against Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road; it was Manchester United's fastest goal of the season so far, with Rooney finishing Antonio Valencia's pass just 52 seconds into the match. Rooney scored his 130th Premier League goal in his 300th Premier League appearance against Fulham at Craven Cottage with a long-range shot off the post in a 5–0 victory.

Rooney's debut season at United started brilliantly as he asserted himself with the first hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. He continued to score 11 goals in the Premier League and another 3 in the FA Cup. Rooney was given the number 8 shirt upon arriving at Old Trafford. He made his United debut on September 28 in a 6–2 home victory against Fenerbahçe in the UEFA Champions League, scoring a hat-trick and providing an assist. These goals made Rooney the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League at the age of 18 years and 335 days.

Rooney's second goal in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough on January 29, 2005, a spectacular volley with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the 18-yard box, was honored as the BBC's Goal of the Season. The goal came in a goalless draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup final, followed by a defeat in a penalty shootout. Rooney was the top scorer of the 2004-2005 season for United with 11 goals and was honored as the PFA Young Player of the Year.

Rooney played in the 2008 UEFA Super Cup, where United lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg and couldn't make an impact. In the away victory against Blackburn, Rooney became the youngest player to reach 200 appearances in the Premier League. Rooney scored two goals in the 5–3 win in the semifinal against Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the FIFA Club World Cup and, after scoring the decisive goal to help United beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final in Yokohama, he was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament that season.

Rooney scored the final goal of the season against Tottenham; United scored five goals in the second half to lead 2–0 and win 5–2; Rooney scored two goals, provided two assists, and won a penalty leading to United's first goal. On May 27, Rooney played against Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League Final in Rome, with United losing 2–0. Rooney finished the 2008-2009 season with 20 goals in all competitions. Once again, he scored 12 goals in the league.

In the 2015-2016 season, Rooney ended the 878-minute goal drought by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 win (7–1 aggregate) against Belgian side Club Brugge in their Champions League play-off second leg. It was his first hat-trick in European competition since his debut for United against Fenerbahçe in 2004. He scored in the 3–0 victory against Everton on October 17, taking his Premier League tally to 187 goals, joint second with Andy Cole and behind only Alan Shearer.

On January 2, 2016, Rooney scored in a 2-1 win against Swansea to surpass legendary striker Cole as the second all-time leading goal scorer in Premier League history. With 238 goals, he also surpassed Denis Law in United's all-time top scorers list, second only to Bobby Charlton with 249 goals. Fifteen days later, he scored the only goal in the win against Liverpool at Anfield, his 176th goal for United, breaking Thierry Henry's record for most goals for a club in the Premier League.

Rooney scored twice in a 4–2 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, marking his 200th goal for United in the process. He netted a brace against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in a 2–2 draw. His 150th goal in the competition for the club came with a stunning volley against Hull City on December 26 as United came from 2–0 down to win 3–2; he also provided assists for the other two goals.

Rooney assisted once for Robin van Persie as Manchester United defeated Olympiacos in the Champions League round of 16. On March 22, 2014, Rooney scored two goals for United against West Ham, moving him to third on the club's all-time scoring list with 212 career goals. Rooney finished the season as the top scorer and assist provider for Manchester United in the league with 17 goals and 10 assists. He also led in assists in the 2013–2014 season Champions League with 8 assists, surpassing the second-placed Angel Di Maria who had six assists.

Despite starting the opening match of the 2012–2013 season against Everton, Rooney was benched in the second game against Fulham to make way for newcomer Robin van Persie. Coming on for Shinji Kagawa in the 68th minute, Rooney suffered a serious injury to his right foot caused by Fulham's Hugo Rodallega, forcing him to be sidelined for 4 weeks. Rooney returned on September 29 in a 3–2 loss to Tottenham. He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–2 win at home against Stoke City on October 20, marking his 200th goal for the club.

Rooney netted his first goal of the season in the Champions League, converting a penalty in a 3–1 victory over Braga. He scored two goals and provided an assist in a 4–3 win against Reading on December 1. He secured a brace in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on December 9, 2012, as United triumphed 3–2. The player continued to score against West Ham in the FA Cup. Two weeks later, he netted twice in a 2–1 win over Southampton. He continued to score in consecutive FA Cup matches against Fulham and Chelsea.

Commencing the 2016-2017 season, Rooney scored for Jesse Lingard in Manchester United's 2-1 victory over Leicester City in the 2016 FA Community Shield, securing his second title as the club's captain. Rooney became the third player to achieve 100 assists in the Premier League, assisting both goals for Zlatan Ibrahimović in a 3-1 win against Swansea City. He surpassed Ruud van Nistelrooy to become the all-time leading goal scorer for Manchester United in European competitions with 39 goals, opening the scoreline in a 4–0 home triumph against Feyenoord in the Europa League final.

Rooney netted against Reading in the FA Cup 3rd round to equal Bobby Charlton as the all-time leading goal scorer for Manchester United. Rooney's goal was the 249th in 543 appearances for Manchester United, reaching this milestone in 215 matches and faster by four seasons than Charlton. Rooney eventually surpassed Charlton to become the top goal scorer for Manchester United after scoring his 250th goal for the club, a late equalizer from a direct free-kick against Stoke City at Bet365 Stadium.