"It was that evening actually - I went to Wing's restaurant in my tracksuit, and Maradona was in there. I got a picture with him and stuff. He had a full suit on, and tie, and then he gave me his tie. It was a bit weird, he took his tie off, put it on me, my club tracksuit still on."
"They don't come along that often, players who can go on and become real world-class star. Maradona recognized Rooney's exceptional talent after witnessing his senior England debut at just 17 years old in a Euro 2004 qualifier against Macedonia, acknowledging the rarity of such mercurial talent emerging in football."
Wayne Rooney unexpectedly met Diego Maradona at Wing's restaurant in Manchester while seeking to clear his head. Maradona, attending a Manchester United versus Real Madrid match, was in the city regularly due to his daughter's marriage to Manchester City's Sergio Aguero. During their encounter, Maradona removed his tie and placed it on Rooney, who was wearing his club tracksuit. Recognizing Rooney's similar playing style and commitment, Maradona had previously praised the young England player after his senior debut at 17, noting that world-class talents like him emerge rarely. Rooney deeply admired Maradona throughout his life, later calling him "the best" in a tribute following his death in 2020.
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