Wayne Rooney to return to Old Trafford for charity match for first time in almost a decade

Wayne Rooney is returning to Old Trafford as a player for the first time in seven years as he takes to the pitch as part of a charity match.

Manchester United's all-time top goal scorer will feature in the Legends team, managed by Bryan Robson, for a charity match against Celtic on 7 September.

He will don a Red's jersey once more alongside fellow former players including Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Dimitar Berbatov, and Antonio Valencia.

During his 13-year spell with United, Rooney made 559 appearances and superseded Sir Bobby Charlton’s previously unchallenged goalscoring record for the club, bettering his tally of 249 by four, with 253 goals.

He went on to represent Everton, DC United and Derby County in the final years of his playing career, before moving into management - most recently taking up the reins at Championship outfit Plymouth Argyle.

The former England international is considered one of the club and country’s greatest ever players, and is one of the most celebrated players to have graced the game.

Rooney will temporarily switch the dugout for the pitch when he returns to Old Trafford as a player - and having previously spoken of his admiration for Celtic, the Scottish side provides an apt opponent.

United and Celtic have only faced off four times competitively in history, with all four meetings coming between 2006-2008 in Champions League affairs. Rooney featured on each occasion, scoring once against the SPL heavyweights.

The competitive edge will remain for the Legends match, however the main focus will be raising money for Manchester United Foundation’s work with young people across Greater Manchester and beyond.

For tickets head to the Manchester United website.