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Wayne Mark Rooney (; born 24 October 1985) is an English professional footballer who plays for and captains both Manchester United and the England national team. He has played much of his career as a forward, but he has also been used in various midfield roles.

Aged nine, Rooney joined the youth team of Everton, for whom he made his professional debut in 2002 at the age of 16. He spent two seasons at the Merseyside club, before moving to Manchester United for £25.6 million in the 2004 summer transfer window. Since then, with Rooney in the team, United have won the Premier League five times, the UEFA Champions League once, the FIFA Club World Cup once, the FA Community Shield three times, the Football League Cup twice and the FA Cup once. In September 2013, Rooney scored his 200th goal for Manchester United.  He is currently on 244 goals, making him the club's second top goalscorer of all time. His 192 Premier League goals make him the competition's second top scorer of all time, and he holds the record for most goals for one club in the Premier League, with 177 for Manchester United.

Rooney made his senior international debut in February 2003 aged 17, becoming the youngest player to represent England (a record since broken by Theo Walcott) and he is England's youngest ever goalscorer.  He played at UEFA Euro 2004 and scored four goals, briefly becoming the youngest goalscorer in the history of the European Championship. Rooney has since featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups and is widely regarded as his country's best player.     He has won the England Player of the Year award four times, in 2008, 2009, 2014 and 2015. With 53 goals in 115 international caps, Rooney is England's all-time record goalscorer and joint second most-capped player. Along with David Beckham, Rooney is the most red carded player for England, having been sent off twice.

In 2009–10, Rooney was awarded the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year. He has won the Premier League Player of the Month award five times, a record only bettered by Steven Gerrard. He came fifth in the vote for the 2011 FIFA Ballon d'Or and was named in the FIFPro World 11 for 2011. Rooney has won the 'Goal of the Season' award by the BBC's Match of the Day poll on three occasions, with his bicycle kick against rivals Manchester City winning the 'Premier League Goal of the 20 Seasons' award. 

Early life and education 

Rooney was born in Croxteth, Liverpool, to Jeanette Marie (née Morrey) and Thomas Wayne Rooney.  He is of Irish descent   and was brought up as a Roman Catholic   with younger brothers Graham and John;  all three attended Our Lady and St Swithin's primary school  and De La Salle School.  He grew up supporting Everton. 

Club career 

Everton 

Youth squads 

Rooney began playing for Liverpool Schoolboys and scored 72 goals in one season, a record which stood until May 2010.  At age nine, Rooney played for Copplehouse boys' club in the local Walton and Kirkdale junior league and scored 99 goals in his final season before being spotted by Everton scout Bob Pendleton.  Rooney joined Everton at age nine,  and was the Everton mascot for the Merseyside derby against Liverpool as an 11-year-old.  In the 1995–96 season, he scored 114 goals in 29 games for Everton's under-10s and 11s,  and by the age of 15, he was playing for the under-19s.  He scored eight goals in eight games during Everton's run to the FA Youth Cup final in 2002.  This included one goal in the final defeat against Aston Villa and, upon scoring, he revealed a T-shirt that read, "Once a Blue, always a Blue." Rooney was included in Everton's first team squad for their training camp in Austria in the summer of 2002 and scored his first senior goal in a 3–1 friendly victory over SC Weiz on 15 July.

First team breakthrough 

Rooney was an unused substitute in Everton's 1–0 away win over Southampton on 20 April 2002.  He made his senior debut on 17 August in a 2–2 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur, starting the match and assisting the first goal by Mark Pembridge.  He became the second youngest first-team player in Everton history behind Joe Royle.  In that match he was booed by the Spurs fans who shouted "Who are ya?" whenever he touched the ball.  His first senior goals came on 2 October when he scored twice in a 3–0 away win over Wrexham in the second round of the League Cup.  These goals meant that Rooney was Everton's youngest-ever goalscorer at the time. 

On 19 October, five days before his 17th birthday, Rooney scored a last-minute winning goal against Arsenal.  The goal ended Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run,  and also made Rooney the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history, a record that has since been surpassed twice, by James Milner and James Vaughan.  He scored the only goal in a 1–0 away win over Leeds United 15 days later. 

In December, Rooney was named 2002's BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.  Six days after claiming the award he scored the winning goal against Blackburn Rovers in a 2–1 home win.  His first career red card came on Boxing Day in a 1–1 away draw against Birmingham City for a late challenge on Steve Vickers.  In January 2003, Rooney signed his first professional contract, which made him one of world football's highest-paid teenagers.  Rooney's first goal of 2003 came on 23 March, netting Everton's only goal in a 2–1 loss at Arsenal.  In April, he scored a goal in Everton's 2–1 home win over Newcastle United,  before hitting a last-minute winner against Aston Villa in another 2–1 home win.  He ended his debut season with 8 goals in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Toffees. 

Rooney scored his first goal of the 2003–04 season in a 2–2 away draw against Charlton Athletic on 26 August 2003.  He did not find the net again until December when he scored in a 2–1 away win over Portsmouth,  and a 3–2 home win over Leicester City.  His final goal of 2003 came on his 50th league appearance, netting the only goal in a 1–0 home win over Birmingham City on 28 December.  On 21 February 2004, Rooney scored two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in a 3–3 away draw against Southampton.  He scored the sole goal in a 1–0 win over Portsmouth on 13 March,  before scoring in a 1–1 away draw against Leicester City one week later.  He scored his final goal of the season in a 1–1 away draw against Leeds United on 13 April. 

Manchester United 

2004–05 season 

Rooney made a transfer request in August 2004, despite Everton having made a new contract offer valued at £50,000 per week.  Everton then rejected a bid of £20 million from Newcastle,  and ultimately signed for Manchester United at the end of the month after a £25.6 million deal was reached.  It was the highest fee ever paid for a player under 20 years old; Rooney was still only 18 when he left Everton.  Sir Alex Ferguson, then manager of United, said that "There were plenty of eyebrows raised" when he persuaded the club's board of directors to sanction "a multi-million pound" move to try to sign Rooney from Everton. 

Rooney was given the number 8 shirt upon his arrival at Old Trafford.  He made his United debut on 28 September in a 6–2 home win over Fenerbahçe in the Champions League, scoring a hat-trick and laying on an assist.  These goals made Rooney the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League aged 18 years 335 days.  However, his first season with Manchester United ended without winning a trophy as they could only manage a third-place finish in the league,  and failed to progress to the last eight of the Champions League.  United had more success in the cup competitions, but were edged out of the League Cup in the semi-finals by a Chelsea side  who also won the Premier League title that season,  and a goalless draw with Arsenal in the FA Cup final was followed by a penalty shoot-out defeat.  Rooney was United's top league scorer that season with 11 goals, and was credited with the PFA Young Player of the Year award. 

2005–07 

In September 2005, Rooney was sent off in a goalless Champions League match against Villarreal of Spain for sarcastically clapping the referee, who had booked him for an unintentional foul on an opponent.  His first trophy with United came in the 2006 League Cup,  and he was also named man of the match after scoring twice in the final as United won 4–0 against Wigan Athletic.  His club finished the season as Premier League runners up, with their title hopes ended in late April when they lost 3–0 away to champions Chelsea.  Rooney sustained a broken metatarsal in that game after a tackle from Paulo Ferreira. Rooney scored a total of 16 goals in 26 Premier League games in the 2005–06 season.

Rooney was sent off in an Amsterdam Tournament match against Porto on 4 August 2006 after hitting Porto defender Pepe with his elbow.  He was punished with a three-match ban by the FA, following their receipt of a 23-page report from referee Ruud Bossen that explained his decision.  Rooney threatened to withdraw the FA's permission to use his image if they did not revoke the ban,  although the FA had no power to make such a decision.

During the first half of the 2006–07 season, Rooney endured a ten-game scoreless streak before scoring a hat-trick against Bolton Wanderers.  He subsequently signed a two-year contract extension the following month that tied him to United until 2012. In April 2007, he scored two goals in an 8–3 aggregate Champions League quarter-final win over Roma  and two more in the same competition later in the month, in a 3–2 semi-final first leg victory over Milan.  Rooney collected his first Premier League title winner's medal at the end of the 2006–07 season.  He scored 14 league goals that season. 

2007–09 

In June 2007, Rooney was given squad number 10, last worn by Ruud van Nistelrooy.   Rooney reasoned that he always loved that number.  He fractured his left metatarsal in United's opening-day goalless draw against Reading on 12 August,  the same injury he had suffered to his right foot in 2004.  After being sidelined for six weeks, he returned for United's 1–0 Champions League group stage win over Roma on 2 October, scoring the only goal of the match.  Rooney was again injured on 9 November, hurting his ankle during a training session and missing an additional two weeks.  His next match after injury was against Fulham on 3 December, in which he played 70 minutes.  Rooney missed a total of ten games and finished the 2007–08 season with 18 goals (12 of them in the league), as United clinched the Premier League.  In the Champions League's first-ever all-English final,  United defeated league rivals Chelsea to win another trophy. 

Rooney played in 2008 UEFA Super Cup where United lost to Zenit Saint Petersburg and was unable to make an impact.  On 4 October 2008, in an away win over Blackburn Rovers, Rooney became the youngest player to make 200 Premier League appearances.  On 18 December, Rooney scored twice in the 5–3 semi-final victory over Japanese club Gamba Osaka in the FIFA Club World Cup,  and, after scoring the winning goal as United beat LDU Quito 1–0 in the final in Yokohama,  was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the tournament.  On 14 January after scoring the only goal of the game 54 seconds into the 1–0 win over Wigan Athletic, Rooney limped off with a hamstring injury in the eighth minute.  On 25 April 2009, Rooney scored his final league goals 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, set up two and provided the assist that led to the penalty for United's first goal.  On 27 May, Rooney played against Barcelona in the 2009 Champions League Final in Rome, with United losing 2–0.  Rooney ended the season with 20 goals in all competitions. Once again, he managed 12 goals in the league.

2009–10 season 

Rooney scored in the 90th minute of the season-opening 2009 Community Shield, although United lost the game to Chelsea on penalties.  He then scored the only goal of the first league game of the 2009–10 season against Birmingham City, taking his overall United tally to 99.  On 22 August, he became the 20th Manchester United player to score 100 goals for the club, when he found the net twice in a 5–0 away win at Wigan Athletic. 

On 29 August, United played Arsenal at Old Trafford. Rooney scored a goal from the penalty spot to level the game after Andrei Arshavin had put the Gunners ahead. The game finished 2–1 to Manchester United after Abou Diaby scored an own goal.  On 28 November 2009, Rooney scored his first hat-trick for three years in a 4–1 away victory against Portsmouth, with two of the goals being penalties.  On 27 December 2009, he was awarded Man of the Match against Hull City. He was involved in all the goals scored in the game, hitting the opener and then giving away the ball for Hull's equalising penalty. He then forced Andy Dawson into conceding an own goal and then set up Dimitar Berbatov for United's third goal which gave them a 3–1 victory.  On 30 December 2009, Rooney scored another goal as United beat Wigan 5–0 in their final game of the decade. 

On 23 January 2010, Rooney scored all four goals in Manchester United's 4–0 win over Hull City; three of the goals came in the last 10 minutes of the match. This was the first time in his career that he registered four goals in a single match.  On 27 January 2010, he continued his scoring run by heading the winner in the second minute of stoppage time against derby rivals Manchester City. This gave United a 4–3 aggregate win, taking them into the final; it was his first League Cup goal since netting two in the 2006 final.  On 31 January 2010, Rooney scored his 100th Premier League goal in a 3–1 win over Arsenal for the first time in the league at the Emirates, notably his first Premier League goal also came against Arsenal. 

On 16 February 2010, Rooney hit his first European goals of the season, scoring two headers in the 3–2 away win against Milan in Manchester United's first ever win against them at the San Siro.  On 28 February 2010, he scored another header against Aston Villa (his fifth consecutive headed goal) which resulted in Manchester United winning the League Cup final 2–1.  In the second leg of United's European tie against Milan, Rooney scored a brace in a resounding 4–0 home victory, taking his tally of goals that season to 30.  He then added two more to his tally five days later at Old Trafford, in a 3–0 league win over Fulham. 

On 30 March 2010, during United's Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat against Bayern Munich at Munich's Allianz Arena, Rooney crumpled when he twisted his ankle in the last minute, hobbling off while Bayern were producing the buildup that led to their second goal.  There were fears that he had received serious ligament damage or even a broken ankle, but it was announced that the injury was only slight ligament damage, and that he would be out for 2 to 3 weeks, missing United's crunch match with Chelsea and the return leg against Munich the following week. The team list for second leg yielded a massive surprise when Rooney was given a starting place in the United line-up. Despite a 3–0 lead by the 41st minute, Munich snatched a goal back and United were later forced down to 10 men after Rafael da Silva was sent-off. Munich won the match after netting a second away-goal and Rooney was substituted after re-damaging his ankle. On 25 April, Rooney was named the 2010 PFA Players' Player of the Year. 

2010–11 season 

On 28 August 2010, Rooney scored his first goal of the season as he netted a penalty in a 3–0 home win over West Ham United.  In October, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson stated at a press conference that Rooney wanted to quit the club.  This came after a period of dispute as to the extent of Rooney's ankle injury, where Rooney had refuted Ferguson's claim that the injury was the reason Rooney had been dropped to the bench.  Rooney and his representatives released a statement regarding his decision to leave the club, insisting it was not down to money but ambition.  Following this statement, Rooney made a dramatic U-turn and agreed a new five-year contract at Manchester United until June 2015. 

Rooney made his return to the first team as a substitute against Wigan on 20 November.  Four days later he returned to the starting line-up and scored a penalty in a 1–0 away win over Rangers in the Champions League.  He missed a penalty in a 1–0 home win over Arsenal on 13 December.  His first goal of the season from open play came on 1 January 2011 in a 2–1 away win over West Bromwich Albion.  On 1 February, Rooney scored twice and assisted Nemanja Vidić's goal in a 3–1 home win over Aston Villa.  On 12 February, Rooney scored an overhead bicycle kick in the 78th minute of the Manchester derby, which proved to be the winning goal in their 2–1 win over Manchester City.  After the match, Rooney said it was the best goal of his career,  before Sir Alex Ferguson described the strike as the best goal he had ever witnessed at Old Trafford.  Two weeks later he scored the third goal in a 4–0 away win over Wigan,  before opening the scoring in a 2–1 away loss to Chelsea on 1 March.  Rooney scored the second goal in a 2–0 home win over Arsenal in an FA Cup tie on 12 March. 

On 2 April, United came from two goals down as Rooney scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–2 away win over West Ham United.  This was his fifth hat-trick for Manchester United, whilst the second goal was his 100th in the Premier League for the club.  He became the third Manchester United player to score 100 Premier League goals, joining Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.  During Rooney's celebrations following his third goal, he swore into a pitchside camera and was subsequently charged by the Football Association for using offensive language.  Rooney accepted the charge, but not the automatic two-match ban which was handed to him.  He appealed against the length of the suspension, calling it "excessive", but failed to overturn the ban, which ruled him out of the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City on 16 April.  The following game on 6 April saw Rooney score the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final first leg.  He followed this goal up with another strike in the semi-final first leg against German side Schalke on 26 April, scoring the second of a 2–0 away win.  This was the first time Rooney had returned to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen since his sending off during the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Portugal. 

On 14 May 2011, Rooney scored a penalty for United to equalise in a 1–1 draw against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the penultimate game of the Premier League season – enough to secure a record 19th top division title for United, and giving Rooney his fourth Premier League title winner's medal. 

2011–12 season 

Rooney started the season with a goal in the first league game at The Hawthorns against West Bromwich Albion. Rooney played a one-two with Ashley Young before a sharp turn and finish from outside the box which found the bottom corner of the goal. He also scored in the second game of the season, at home to Tottenham Hotspur, when he headed in a Ryan Giggs cross. 

In late August, Rooney scored his 150th goal for United, the first of a hat-trick, helping to beat Arsenal 8–2. Rooney won man of the match, scoring two free kicks, a penalty, and also contributing an assist for Nani. On 10 September, Rooney scored another hat-trick in a 5–0 away win over Bolton Wanderers on 10 September, becoming only the fourth player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in consecutive games.  These goals brought him level with Sir Bobby Charlton on seven United hat-tricks, joint fourth on the all-time list behind Denis Law, Jack Rowley and Dennis Viollet. 

After the fallout from his red card against Montenegro on international duty, Rooney was left out of the starting line-up against Liverpool on 15 October 2011.  He returned to action on 18 October 2011, where he scored two goals in the group stage-match against Oțelul Galați and surpassed his former teammate Paul Scholes as the most-scoring Englishman in UEFA Champions League. 

On 10 December, Rooney ended an 8-game goal drought with a brace against Wolves in a 4–1 win at Old Trafford.  On 18 December, Rooney continued his goal scoring form heading home the opening goal against Queens Park Rangers, making it Manchester United's quickest goal of the season so far after just 52 seconds at Loftus Road. He was assisted by Antonio Valencia's cross.  On 21 December, Rooney scored his 130th Premier League goal in his 300th Premier League appearance against Fulham at Craven Cottage with a long-range effort that crashed in off the inside of the post in a 5–0 win. 

On 8 January, Rooney scored two goals in the FA Cup third round 3–2 away win against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium. His first goal was assisted by Antonio Valencia.  With these goals, Rooney went past Mark Hughes in United's all-time top goalscorers table heading up to seventh place overall with 164 goals. On 14 January, Rooney made a big contribution to his team in a 3–0 home win against Bolton. Although he missed a penalty, he did create two goals by assisting Paul Scholes for the first goal and Danny Welbeck for the second one.  On 5 February, Rooney scored twice from the penalty spot as United came back from a 3–0 deficit to draw 3–3 in a Premier League clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. 

On 11 February 2012, Rooney marked his 500th senior career game by scoring two goals as United beat rivals Liverpool 2–1 at Old Trafford. This was also his 350th game for United in all competitions. On 4 March, Rooney scored the first goal in a 3–1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane and went past Joe Spence in Manchester United's all-time top goalscorers table heading up to sixth place overall with 169 goals. He scored another brace in his next game, against Atletico Bilbao in the Europa League.  On 11 March, Rooney scored the two goals that brought United the victory against West Bromwich Albion in a 2–0 home win. On 15 March, Rooney scored in the 2nd leg of the Europa League tie vs Athletic Bilbao in Bilbao despite United losing 2–1 on the night and 5–3 on aggregate. 

2012–13 season 

Despite starting the opening game of the season against Everton,  Rooney was dropped to the bench for the second game against Fulham in favour of new signing Robin van Persie.  After coming on for Shinji Kagawa in the 68th minute, Rooney suffered a severe gash to his right leg caused by Fulham's Hugo Rodallega that kept him out for four weeks.  He made his comeback on 29 September in a 3–2 loss against Tottenham. 

Rooney scored his first goals of the season in a 4–2 league win at home to Stoke City on 20 October, where he reached his 200th club goal.  On 7 November, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal of the season, scoring a penalty in a 3–1 win against S.C. Braga.  He scored twice and assisted a goal in a 4–3 win against Reading on 1 December.  He scored a brace in the Manchester derby at the City of Manchester Stadium on 9 December 2012 which United won 3–2.  On 16 January, he scored a goal against West Ham United in the FA Cup.  A fortnight later, he scored twice in a 2–1 win against Southampton.  He continued to score goals in FA Cup consecutive matches against Fulham  and Chelsea.  On 12 May, Sir Alex Ferguson announced, after United's 2–1 win against Swansea City, that Rooney had handed in his transfer request, a match in which Rooney also requested not to play. 

2013–14 season 

On 5 July 2013, new United manager David Moyes announced that Rooney was not for sale, after speculation that Chelsea, Arsenal, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs looking to sign him.    On 17 July 2013, Chelsea confirmed that they had made a bid for Rooney the previous day, thought to be in the region of £20 million,  however it had been rejected by Manchester United. He suffered a head gash in training on 31 August after a collision with Phil Jones which kept him out of the match against Liverpool. He scored his first goal of the season with a free-kick in a 2–0 win against Crystal Palace. 

On 17 September, Rooney scored twice in a 4–2 win against Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Champions League, marking his 200th goal for United in the process. On 22 September, Rooney scored a wonderful free-kick at the eleventh hour to grab a consolation goal in the 4–1 thrashing against their neighbour, Manchester City, in the Manchester derby.  He scored a brace against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in a 2–2 draw on 1 December.  He scored his 150th league goal for the club with a volley against Hull City on 26 December as United came back from 2–0 deficit to win the match 3–2; he also provided assists for the other two goals. 

On 21 February 2014, Rooney signed a contract extension with Manchester United, which will keep him at Old Trafford until 2019.  Rooney provided one assist to Robin van Persie, as Manchester United defeated Olympiakos in the second leg of UEFA Champions League.  On 22 March 2014, Rooney scored two goals for United at West Ham United, moving him to third place on the club's all-time scoring list with 212 career goals. 

Rooney ended the season as both the top scorer and assist for Manchester United in the league with 17 goals and 10 assists.  He also had the most assists in the 2013–2014 Champions League with 8 assists, beating 2nd place Ángel Di María who had 6 assists. 

2014–15 season 

After the departure of Nemanja Vidić from Manchester United in July 2014, Rooney was named by new manager Louis van Gaal as his replacement as club captain ahead of the 2014–15 season.  On the opening day of the season on 16 August, Rooney scored a bicycle kick to equalise against Swansea City, although United eventually lost 1–2.  On 27 September 2014, Rooney became the third highest Premier League top-scorer of all time moving ahead of Thierry Henry with 176 goals after he netted a goal in a 2–1 victory against West Ham United. In the same match, he was sent off for a foul on Stewart Downing and received a three-game suspension. 

On 22 November 2014, Rooney scored for United in a 2–1 win against rivals Arsenal, their first away win of the season.  He continued to score in the following match, in a 3–0 win over Hull City.  On 14 December, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over rivals Liverpool.  On 26 December, Rooney scored two goals against Newcastle United, a match which his side won 3–1 – United's 50th successive Boxing Day match.  For his performances, Rooney was voted as United's Player of the Month for December.  During the season Rooney was often deployed as a midfielder by van Gaal.  

On 16 February 2015, in an FA Cup match against Preston, Rooney was the subject of criticism for having dived to get a penalty; United would go on to win the match 3–1. Replay seemed to have shown that Rooney hadn't come in contact with the goalkeeper.  However, England manager Roy Hodgson defended Rooney, saying that he was forced to take evasive action.  Rooney later apologised for his behaviour, saying: "that was my chance to get a penalty. I had to use that."  The penalty was also Rooney's first goal in 2015, ending a goalless run.  On 28 February 2015, he scored a brace in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland, thus becoming the first player to score more than 10 goals in 11 successive seasons.  On 15 March, Rooney scored the third goal in a 3–0 win over Tottenham. 

Rooney was Manchester United's top goalscorer for the 2014–15 campaign, but his tally of 14 is the lowest by a leading scorer since 1982. United's total goals of 62 were also their second worst in the Premier League era. 

2015–16 season 

On 26 August 2015, Rooney ended a 878-minute scoreless streak by scoring a hat-trick in a 4–0 win (7–1 aggregate) over Belgian side Club Brugge in the second leg of their Champions League play-off. It was his first treble in European competition since his United debut against Fenerbahçe in 2004.  He netted in a 3–0 win away to Everton on 17 October, putting him on 187 Premier League goals, joint second with Andy Cole and behind only Alan Shearer.  After an injury-related absence, Rooney returned to the starting line-up on 19 December, making his 500th Manchester United appearance in a 2–1 home loss to Norwich City. 

On 2 January 2016, Rooney scored in a 2–1 win over Swansea to move ahead of Cole as the Premier League's second top scorer of all time, and with 238 he surpassed Denis Law in United's top scorers of all time, behind only Bobby Charlton's 249.  Fifteen days later, he scored the only goal in a win at Liverpool, his 176th league goal for United, taking Thierry Henry's record for most goals for one club in the Premier League.  After being ruled out since 13 February due to a knee injury, Rooney returned to the starting line-up in a 1–0 home win over Aston Villa on 16 April. 

On 21 May 2016, Rooney captained Manchester United in the 2016 FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace. He played the full 120 minutes in central midfield, winning the competition for the first time in his career after a 2–1 extra time victory at Wembley Stadium. 

International career 

Early international career and Euro 2004 

Rooney was eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, through an Irish grandmother.  In 2015 he confirmed that he had rejected an approach from Ireland at the age of 16, describing himself as "English through and through". 

Rooney became the youngest player to play for England when he earned his first cap in a friendly defeat against Australia at the Boleyn Ground on 12 February 2003 at 17 years and 111 days, coming on at half time as manager Sven-Göran Eriksson fielded a different team in each half.  On 6 September of that year, aged 17 years and 317 days, he became the youngest player to score for England, equalising in a 2–1 away victory over Macedonia in a UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying match. 

His first tournament action was at UEFA Euro 2004, in which he became the youngest scorer in competition history on 17 June 2004, when he scored twice against Switzerland;  however, this record was topped by Swiss midfielder Johan Vonlanthen four days later.  Rooney suffered an injury in the quarter-final match against Portugal, and England were eliminated on penalties.  After scoring four goals in four matches,  Rooney was named in UEFA's Team of the Tournament. 

2006 and 2010 World Cups 

Following a foot injury in an April 2006 Premier League match, Rooney faced a race to fitness for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.  England attempted to hasten his recovery with the use of an oxygen tent,  which allowed Rooney to enter a group match against Trinidad and Tobago  and start the next match against Sweden.  However, he never got back into game shape and went scoreless as England bowed out in the quarter-finals, again on penalty kicks.[http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/jul/02/worldcup2006.match England pay penalty for Rooney's red] The Observer, 2 July 2006

Rooney was red-carded in the 62nd minute of the quarter-final for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho as both attempted to gain possession of the ball, an incident that occurred right in front of referee Horacio Elizondo.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5130880.stm Rooney's dismissal stuns England] BBC Sport, 1 July 2006 Rooney's Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo openly protested his actions, and was in turn shoved by Rooney. Elizondo sent Rooney off, after which Ronaldo was seen winking at the Portugal bench. Rooney denied intentionally targeting Carvalho in a statement on 3 July, adding, "I bear no ill feeling to Cristiano but I'm disappointed that he chose to get involved. I suppose I do, though, have to remember that on that particular occasion we were not teammates."  Elizondo confirmed the next day that Rooney was dismissed solely for the infraction on Carvalho.  Rooney was fined CHF5,000 for the incident. 

Rooney top scored for England in their 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign with nine goals; one behind the UEFA section's overall top goalscorer, Theofanis Gekas of Greece.  On 14 November 2009, Rooney captained England for the first time in a pre-tournament friendly with Brazil. 

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa England drew with Algeria and the England players were booed off the pitch by supporters.  England were eliminated in the second round. 

Euro 2012 

The UEFA Euro 2012 qualification campaign went well for England, as they qualified at the top of their group, winning five and drawing three games. Rooney scored three goals, one against Switzerland and two against Bulgaria. In the last qualifier against Montenegro (2–2), Rooney was sent off for a tackle on Miodrag Džudović in the 74th minute.  It was anticipated that Rooney would miss at least one match in the opening round of the first phase at UEFA Euro 2012. After the game Rooney sent a personal letter to UEFA in which he apologised and expressed regret for the tackle on Džudović which earned him the red card. 

Despite the letter, UEFA punished Rooney with a three-game ban, meaning that he could not play in any of the group stage matches. After UEFA's announcement, Džudović stated that he believed the sentence for Rooney was too severe and that he would defend him if needed. He later asked the UEFA to pardon Rooney. The Football Association then decided they would appeal to UEFA against the ban. On 8 December 2011, after The FA had appealed the ban, UEFA reduced the sentence to two matches.  This meant that Rooney missed the matches against France and Sweden. He was able to play in the final match of the group stage against Ukraine on 19 June 2012, scoring the only goal of the game, allowing England to progress to the quarterfinals.  England were eventually knocked out in the quarter-finals against Italy, who, after a scoreless 120 minutes, won 4–2 on penalties, although Rooney was able to net his spot-kick. After another international tournament in which the English media criticised Rooney's performances, Fabio Capello claimed Rooney "only plays well in Manchester". 

2014 World Cup 

On 12 October 2012, Rooney became England's 5th highest goalscorer of all time after scoring his 30th and 31st international goals in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against San Marino. Rooney captained England for the first time in a competitive match in the same game. On 6 February 2013, Rooney scored in a 2–1 win against five-time world champions Brazil at Wembley in a friendly.  In March, he scored goals against San Marino and Montenegro in World Cup qualifying,   before scoring against Brazil again in a 2–2 draw on 2 June, in the official re-opening of the refurbished Maracanã Stadium.  On 11 October 2013, Rooney became England's all-time top goalscorer in competitive internationals when he scored his 27th competitive goal in a 4–1 World Cup qualifier against Montenegro.   Rooney ended the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign as England's top scorer with seven goals. 

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Rooney started in England's first group match against Italy, setting up Sturridge's temporary equaliser, in a 2–1 loss.  In England's second 2014 FIFA World Cup group match against Uruguay at the Arena Corinthians, Rooney scored his first ever goal at a FIFA World Cup finals with a 75th-minute equaliser in a 2–1 loss.[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10913384/Englands-World-Cup-chances-all-but-over-as-they-lose-to-Uruguay.html England's World Cup all but over as they lose to Uruguay – Telegraph] England drew their final group match 0–0 against Costa Rica, and were eliminated from the World Cup, finishing last in their group; despite playing a part in both of England's goals, Rooney was criticised by English pundits for his performance in the tournament. 

Euro 2016 

Following Steven Gerrard's international retirement after the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Roy Hodgson named Rooney as England's new captain.  On 3 September 2014, in the first match of his captaincy, Rooney scored a penalty against Norway to give England a 1–0 friendly win.  Later on he showed his leadership attribute by calling player-only meetings in September 2014 to reflect on the players' performance and discuss how they can do better as a team. "Obviously the manager gives us our game plan, but because we don't spend that much time together as a team we need to know and feel confident in what we're doing as a team together. In the meetings, you're having the players speak up who wouldn't normally speak up when coaches are there." Rooney said.  On 15 November 2014, Rooney won his 100th England cap against Slovenia in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match, scoring a penalty to equalise in a 3–1 win.  In another qualifier away to the same opponents on 14 June 2015, Rooney scored the winner with four minutes remaining for a 3–2 victory, his 48th international goal putting him joint second in England's list alongside Gary Lineker, and one behind Bobby Charlton.  In his 106th England appearance, he equalled Bobby Charlton's record of 49 goals (also in 106 matches) on 5 September 2015, by scoring a penalty against San Marino.  On 8 September 2015, Rooney broke Charlton's England goalscoring record, netting his 50th international goal from a penalty in a Euro 2016 qualifying match against Switzerland, at Wembley, in his 107th appearance for England, also equalling Ashley Cole as his country's fifth-highest capped player;  this was also his 300th professional career goal. 

In England's opening match of UEFA Euro 2016 against Russia at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille on 11 June, Rooney was selected to start in central midfield and was named man of the match by the BBC after a 1–1 draw.  On 27 June, he scored the opening goal in a 2–1 defeat to Iceland from a penalty in the round of 16 of the tournament. 

Style of play 

Rooney is a creative, energetic forward who combines technical skill with strength and physicality, while also excelling in the air despite his lack of height.   He is a versatile attacker, capable of playing anywhere along the front line:   although his preferred role is as a striker,  he has also been used as a supporting forward, or even as a winger.   In more recent years, he has even been deployed in a deeper, more creative role, as an attacking midfielder,    or even as a central or box-to-box midfielder under van Gaal, due to his vision, passing, and team-work.   A prolific goalscorer, Rooney is a powerful striker of the ball and an accurate finisher, who is capable of scoring goals both inside and outside the penalty area, as well as from volleys.  In addition to his offensive attributes, he has been praised for his work-rate and stamina by players, managers and the media, and is highly regarded for his dedication and willingness to press opponents when possession has been lost in order to win back the ball and start attacking plays. 

Due to his precocious displays as a teenager, Wayne Rooney was given the nicknames "Wazza" (a reference to former England international Paul "Gazza" Gascoigne, who was also a gifted player troubled by off-field issues),  "The Wonder Boy",  and "The White Pelé".  Rooney was a fast, agile player in his youth;  however, several injuries throughout his career have affected his speed and mobility in recent years, which has led to some in the game accusing him of not quite living up to his full potential, on occasion.   Despite his reputation as one of the top strikers of his generation,  and as one of England's greatest ever players and all-time leading goalscorer,  Rooney has been criticised for his behaviour and aggression on the pitch at times, which has led him to pick up unnecessary bookings. 

Personal life 

In addition to Everton, Rooney also supports Celtic.  He is also a supporter of the Leeds Rhinos rugby league club. 

Rooney, originally a boxer, still pursues the sport recreationally for stress relief.  In June 2011, he visited the Harley Street Hair Clinic and had a hair transplant.  He has a number of tattoos, including one of a Celtic cross on his arm. 

Family 

Rooney met his wife, Coleen Rooney (née McLoughlin), while both were at secondary school.  They married on 12 June 2008 after six years of dating, during which Rooney admitted to soliciting prostitutes in Liverpool in 2004. "I was young and stupid. It was at a time when I was very young and immature and before I had settled down with Coleen."  He has a tattoo of the words "Just Enough Education to Perform", the title of an album by his favourite band, the Stereophonics; Coleen arranged for the group to play at their wedding reception.  The wedding ran into some controversy with the Catholic Church. The couple held a religious ceremony at the Abbey of Cervara, a converted monastery near Genoa, despite being warned by the local bishop's office against the plan. The bishop's office told the Rooneys that La Cervara is deconsecrated and not suitable for a wedding. It suggested a different church, five miles away. Nevertheless, the couple ignored the advice and Father Edward Quinn, their local Catholic priest from Croxteth, presided over the ceremony. 

In April 2006, Rooney was awarded £100,000 in libel damages from tabloids The Sun and News of the World, who had claimed that he had assaulted Coleen in a nightclub. Rooney donated the money to charity. 

Rooney's wife gave birth to a son on 2 November 2009, Kai Wayne.  The couple's second child, Klay Anthony, was born on 21 May 2013.  The couples third child, Kit Joseph, was born on 24 January 2016. 

Rooney's younger brother, John Rooney, is also a professional footballer who plays for Chester. He has previously played with Macclesfield Town, Barnsley and Bury, and in January 2011 signed a contract to play in Major League Soccer in the United States.  John was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the second round of the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. 

Commercial interests 

Rooney has endorsement deals with Nike (he is the face of their T90 Laser IV boots ), Nokia,  Ford,   Asda,  and Coca-Cola.  He appeared on six consecutive UK-version covers of Electronic Arts' FIFA series from FIFA 06 (2005) to FIFA 12 (2011).    In October 2010, Rooney was dropped by Coca-Cola from one of its advertising campaigns following issues surrounding his private life.  In 2012, Rooney was listed as the fifth highest-paid player in the world, behind Lionel Messi (1st), David Beckham (2nd) and Cristiano Ronaldo (3rd), with an annual income of $32.6 million. 

It was announced in July 2011, that jerseys with Rooney's name and number were the best-selling sports product under the auspices of the Premier League. During the 2009–10 season, Manchester United sold between 1.2 million and 1.5 million shirts and it is estimated that of that, Rooney's name was printed on several hundred thousand. The account is taken from official jerseys sales across the globe, not just in England. 

On 9 March 2006, Rooney signed the largest sports book deal in publishing history with HarperCollins,  who granted him a £5 million advance plus royalties for a minimum of five books to be published over a twelve-year period. The first, My Story So Far, an autobiography ghostwritten by Hunter Davies, was published after the 2006 World Cup.  The second publication, The Official Wayne Rooney Annual, was aimed at the teenage market and edited by football journalist Chris Hunt.  His third book, My Decade in the Premier League, was published in September 2012. 

In July 2006, Rooney's lawyers went to the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to gain ownership of the Internet domain names waynerooney.com and waynerooney.co.uk, both of which Welsh actor Huw Marshall registered in 2002.  Three months later, the WIPO awarded Rooney the rights to waynerooney.com. 

Social media 

In October 2014, Rooney became the first Premier League footballer to reach 10 million followers on social networking site Twitter. As of October 2014, Rooney is the fifth most-followed footballer (and sixth most-followed sportsperson) globally on Twitter. In terms of top UK Twitter individuals, Rooney ranked at number 9 in October 2014. 

Paul Stretford controversy 

In July 2002, while Rooney was with Everton, agent Paul Stretford encouraged Rooney and his parents to enter the player into an eight-year contract with Proactive Sports Management. However, Rooney was already with another representation firm at the time, while Stretford's transaction went unreported to the FA, and he was thus charged with improper conduct. Stretford alleged in his October 2004 trial that he had secretly recorded boxing promoter John Hyland and two other men threatening and attempting to blackmail him for an undisclosed percentage of Rooney's earnings.[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/2305232/Wayne-Rooney%27s-agent%2C-Paul-Stretford%2C-banned.html Wayne Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, banned] The Telegraph, 22 July 2008

Stretford's case collapsed due to evidence that conflicted with his insistence that he had not signed Rooney, and on 9 July 2008, he was found guilty of "making of false and/or misleading witness statements to police, and giving false and/or misleading testimony." In addition, the contract to which Stretford had signed Rooney was two years longer than the limit allowed by the FA. Stretford was fined £300,000 and given an 18-month ban as a football agent, a verdict he appealed.

Stretford left Proactive in 2008 and took Rooney with him. Proactive later sued Rooney, claiming £4.3 million in withheld commissions. In July 2010, Proactive was awarded £90,000 as restitution. 

David Moyes 

On 1 September 2006, Everton manager David Moyes sued Rooney for libel after the tabloid newspaper the Daily Mail published excerpts from Rooney's 2006 autobiography that accused the manager of leaking Rooney's reasons for leaving the club to the press.  The case was settled out of court for £500,000 on 3 June 2008, and Rooney apologised to Moyes for "false claims" he had made in the book regarding the matter. 

Allegations of infidelity 

Helen Wood claims Rooney paid £1,000 for a threesome with her and Jennifer Thompson in a Manchester hotel whilst his wife was five months pregnant.  It was reported his solicitors unsuccessfully tried to fight the allegations when they first surfaced in early August 2010. 

Career statistics 

Club 

  

International 

 

Honours 

Club 

;Manchester United 
* Premier League (5): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13
* FA Cup (1): 2015–16
* Football League Cup (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
* FA Community Shield (3): 2007, 2010, 2011
* UEFA Champions League (1): 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008

Individual 

* UEFA European Under-17 Championship Golden Player (1): 2002 
* PFA Players' Player of the Year (1): 2009–10
* PFA Young Player of the Year (2): 2004–05, 2005–06
* PFA Fans' Player of the Year (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
* PFA Premier League Team of the Year (3): 2005–06, 2009–10, 2011–12
* FWA Footballer of the Year (1): 2009–10 
* Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year (2): 2005–06, 2009–10
* BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year (1): 2002
* Bravo Award (1): 2003 
* Golden Boy Award (1): 2004 
* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* FIFPro Young Player of the Year (1): 2004–05
* Premier League Player of the Season (1): 2009–10 
* Premier League Player of the Month (5): February 2005, December 2005, March 2006, October 2007, January 2010
* England Player of the Year (4): 2008,  2009, 2014, 2015 
* FIFA Club World Cup Most Valuable Player of the Final (1): 2008
* FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball (1): 2008 
* FIFA FIFPro World XI (1): 2011
* Premier League 20 Seasons Awards (1992–93 to 2011–12): Best Goal (vs. Manchester City, 12 February 2011) 

Filmography 

Commercials Manchester United Football Club is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Nicknamed "the Red Devils", the club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to its current stadium, Old Trafford, in 1910.

Manchester United have won a record 20 league titles, a joint-record 12 FA Cups, four League Cups and a record 20 FA Community Shields. The club has also won three European Cups, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one Intercontinental Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup. In 1998–99, the club became the first in the history of English football to achieve the treble of the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League. 

The 1958 Munich air disaster claimed the lives of eight players. In 1968, under the management of Matt Busby, Manchester United became the first English football club to win the European Cup. Alex Ferguson won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups and 2 UEFA Champions Leagues, between 1986 and 2013,    when he announced his retirement. José Mourinho is the club's current manager, having been appointed on 27 May 2016.

Manchester United was the second highest-earning football club in the world for 2013–14, with an annual revenue of €518 million,   and the world's third most valuable football club in 2015, valued at $1.98 billion.  As of June 2015, it is the world's most valuable football brand, estimated to be worth $1.2 billion.   It is one of the most widely supported football teams in the world.  After being floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1991, the club was purchased by Malcolm Glazer in May 2005 in a deal valuing the club at almost £800 million, after which the company was taken private again. In August 2012, Manchester United made an initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. The club holds several rivalries, most notably with Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds United, and more recently with Arsenal.

History

Early years (1878–1945)

Manchester United was formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR Football Club by the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) depot at Newton Heath.  The team initially played games against other departments and railway companies, but on 20 November 1880, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the railway company – green and gold – they were defeated 6–0 by Bolton Wanderers' reserve team.  By 1888, the club had become a founding member of The Combination, a regional football league. Following the league's dissolution after only one season, Newton Heath joined the newly formed Football Alliance, which ran for three seasons before being merged with the Football League. This resulted in the club starting the 1892–93 season in the First Division, by which time it had become independent of the railway company and dropped the "LYR" from its name. After two seasons, the club was relegated to the Second Division.

In January 1902, with debts of £2,670 – equivalent to £ in  – the club was served with a winding-up order.  Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen, including John Henry Davies (who became club president), each willing to invest £500 in return for a direct interest in running the club and who subsequently changed the name;  on 24 April 1902, Manchester United was officially born. Sources are divided on the exact date of the meeting and subsequent name change. Whilst official club sources claim that it occurred on 26 April, the meeting was reported by the Manchester Evening Chronicle in its 25 April edition, suggesting it was indeed on 24 April. Under Ernest Mangnall, who assumed managerial duties in 1903, the team finished as Second Division runners-up in 1906 and secured promotion to the First Division, which they won in 1908 – the club's first league title. The following season began with victory in the first ever Charity Shield  and ended with the club's first FA Cup title. Manchester United won the First Division for the second time in 1911, but at the end of the following season, Mangnall left the club to join Manchester City. 

In 1922, three years after the resumption of football following the First World War, the club was relegated to the Second Division, where it remained until regaining promotion in 1925. Relegated again in 1931, Manchester United became a yo-yo club, achieving its all-time lowest position of 20th place in the Second Division in 1934. Following the death of principal benefactor John Henry Davies in October 1927, the club's finances deteriorated to the extent that Manchester United would likely have gone bankrupt had it not been for James W. Gibson, who, in December 1931, invested £2,000 and assumed control of the club.  In the 1938–39 season, the last year of football before the Second World War, the club finished 14th in the First Division.

Busby years (1945–1969)

In October 1945, the impending resumption of football led to the managerial appointment of Matt Busby, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers and training sessions.  Busby led the team to second-place league finishes in 1947, 1948 and 1949, and to FA Cup victory in 1948. In 1952, the club won the First Division, its first league title for 41 years.  With an average age of 22, the back-to-back title winning side of 1956 were labelled "the Busby Babes" by the media, a testament to Busby's faith in his youth players.  In 1957, Manchester United became the first English team to compete in the European Cup, despite objections from The Football League, who had denied Chelsea the same opportunity the previous season.  En route to the semi-final, which they lost to Real Madrid, the team recorded a 10–0 victory over Belgian champions Anderlecht, which remains the club's biggest victory on record. 

The following season, on the way home from a European Cup quarter-final victory against Red Star Belgrade, the aircraft carrying the Manchester United players, officials and journalists crashed while attempting to take off after refuelling in Munich, Germany. The Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 claimed 23 lives, including those of eight players – Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Billy Whelan – and injured several more.  

Reserve team manager Jimmy Murphy took over as manager while Busby recovered from his injuries and the club's makeshift side reached the FA Cup final, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers. In recognition of the team's tragedy, UEFA invited the club to compete in the 1958–59 European Cup alongside eventual League champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite approval from the FA, the Football League determined that the club should not enter the competition, since it had not qualified.   Busby rebuilt the team through the 1960s by signing players such as Denis Law and Pat Crerand, who combined with the next generation of youth players – including George Best – to win the FA Cup in 1963. The following season, they finished second in the league, then won the title in 1965 and 1967. In 1968, Manchester United became the first English (and second British) club to win the European Cup, beating Benfica 4–1 in the final  with a team that contained three European Footballers of the Year: Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and George Best.  Matt Busby resigned as manager in 1969 and was replaced by the reserve team coach, former Manchester United player Wilf McGuinness.

1969–1986

Following an eighth-place finish in the 1969–70 season and a poor start to the 1970–71 season, Busby was persuaded to temporarily resume managerial duties, and McGuinness returned to his position as reserve team coach. In June 1971, Frank O'Farrell was appointed as manager, but lasted less than 18 months before being replaced by Tommy Docherty in December 1972.  Docherty saved Manchester United from relegation that season, only to see them relegated in 1974; by that time the trio of Best, Law, and Charlton had left the club. The team won promotion at the first attempt and reached the FA Cup final in 1976, but were beaten by Southampton. They reached the final again in 1977, beating Liverpool 2–1. Docherty was dismissed shortly afterwards, following the revelation of his affair with the club physiotherapist's wife.  

Dave Sexton replaced Docherty as manager in the summer of 1977. Despite major signings, including Joe Jordan, Gordon McQueen, Gary Bailey, and Ray Wilkins, the team failed to achieve any significant results; they finished in the top two in 1979–80 and lost to Arsenal in the 1979 FA Cup Final. Sexton was dismissed in 1981, even though the team won the last seven games under his direction.  He was replaced by Ron Atkinson, who immediately broke the British record transfer fee to sign Bryan Robson from West Bromwich Albion. Under Atkinson, Manchester United won the FA Cup twice in three years – in 1983 and 1985. In 1985–86, after 13 wins and two draws in its first 15 matches, the club was favourite to win the league, but finished in fourth place. The following season, with the club in danger of relegation by November, Atkinson was dismissed. 

Ferguson years (1986–2013)

Alex Ferguson and his assistant Archie Knox arrived from Aberdeen on the day of Atkinson's dismissal,  and guided the club to an 11th-place finish in the league.  Despite a second-place finish in 1987–88, the club was back in 11th place the following season.  Reportedly on the verge of being dismissed, victory over Crystal Palace in the 1990 FA Cup Final replay (after a 3–3 draw) saved Ferguson's career.   The following season, Manchester United claimed its first Cup Winners' Cup title and competed in the 1991 UEFA Super Cup, beating European Cup holders Red Star Belgrade 1–0 in the final at Old Trafford. A second consecutive League Cup final appearance followed in 1992, in which the team beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at Wembley. In 1993, the club won its first league title since 1967, and a year later, for the first time since 1957, it won a second consecutive title – alongside the FA Cup – to complete the first "Double" in the club's history.

In the 1998–99 season, Manchester United became the first team to win the Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League – "The Treble" – in the same season.  Losing 1–0 going into injury time in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjær scored late goals to claim a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich, in what is considered one of the greatest comebacks of all time.  The club also won the Intercontinental Cup after beating Palmeiras 1–0 in Tokyo.  Ferguson was subsequently knighted for his services to football. 

Manchester United won the league again in the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons. The team finished third in 2001–02, before regaining the title in 2002–03.  They won the 2003–04 FA Cup, beating Millwall 3–0 in the final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.  In the 2005–06 season, Manchester United failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over a decade,  but recovered to secure a second-place league finish and victory over Wigan Athletic in the 2006 Football League Cup Final. The club regained the Premier League in the 2006–07 and 2007–08 seasons, and completed the European double by beating Chelsea 6–5 on penalties in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium. Ryan Giggs made a record 759th appearance for the club in this game, overtaking previous record holder Bobby Charlton.  In December 2008, the club won the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup and followed this with the 2008–09 Football League Cup, and its third successive Premier League title.   That summer, Cristiano Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million.  In 2010, Manchester United defeated Aston Villa 2–1 at Wembley to retain the League Cup, its first successful defence of a knockout cup competition. 

After finishing as runner-up to Chelsea in the 2009–10 season, United achieved a record 19th league title in 2010–11, securing the championship with a 1–1 away draw against Blackburn Rovers on 14 May 2011.  This was extended to 20 league titles in 2012–13, securing the championship with a 3–0 home win against Aston Villa on 22 April 2013. 

2013–present

On 8 May 2013, Ferguson announced that he was to retire as manager at the end of the football season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador.   The club announced the next day that Everton manager David Moyes would replace him from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract.    Ryan Giggs took over as interim player-manager 10 months later, on 22 April 2014, when Moyes was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their Premier League title and failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1995–96.  They also failed to qualify for the Europa League, meaning that it was the first time Manchester United hadn't qualified for a European competition since 1990.  On 19 May 2014, it was confirmed that Louis van Gaal would replace Moyes as Manchester United manager on a three-year deal, with Giggs as his assistant.  Malcolm Glazer, the patriarch of the Glazer family that owns the club, died on 28 May 2014. 

Although Van Gaal's first season saw United once again qualify for the Champions League through a fourth-place finish in the Premier League, his second season saw United go out of the same tournament in the group stage.  United also fell behind in the title race for the third consecutive season, finishing in 5th place, in spite of several expensive signings during Van Gaal's tenure. However, that same season, Manchester United won the FA Cup for a 12th time, putting them on par with Arsenal in total FA Cup wins.  Despite this victory, Van Gaal was sacked as manager just two days later,  with José Mourinho appointed in his place on 27 May, signing a three-year contract. 

Crest and colours

The club crest is derived from the Manchester City Council coat of arms, although all that remains of it on the current crest is the ship in full sail.  The devil stems from the club's nickname "The Red Devils"; it was included on club programmes and scarves in the 1960s, and incorporated into the club crest in 1970, although the crest was not included on the chest of the shirt until 1971 (unless the team was playing in a Cup Final).

Newton Heath's uniform in 1879, four years before the club played its first competitive match, has been documented as 'white with blue cord'.  A photograph of the Newton Heath team, taken in 1892, is believed to show the players wearing red-and-white quartered jerseys and navy blue knickerbockers.  Between 1894–96, the players wore distinctive green and gold jerseys which were replaced in 1896 by white shirts, which were worn with navy blue shorts.

After the name change in 1902, the club colours were changed to red shirts, white shorts, and black socks, which has become the standard Manchester United home kit. Very few changes were made to the kit until 1922 when the club adopted white shirts bearing a deep red "V" around the neck, similar to the shirt worn in the 1909 FA Cup Final. They remained part of their home kits until 1927. For a period in 1934, the cherry and white hooped change shirt became the home colours, but the following season the red shirt was recalled after the club's lowest ever league placing of 20th in the Second Division and the hooped shirt dropped back to being the change. The black socks were changed to white from 1959 to 1965, where they were replaced with red socks up until 1971, when the club reverted to black. Black shorts and/or white socks are sometimes worn with the home strip, most often in away games, if there is a clash with the opponent's kit. The current home kit is a two-tone halved shirt in two shades of red, with a hexagonal pattern dividing the two shades, and the trademark Adidas three stripes in white going each side of the torso. 

The Manchester United away strip has often been a white shirt, black shorts and white socks, but there have been several exceptions. These include an all-black strip with blue and gold trimmings between 1993 and 1995, the navy blue shirt with silver horizontal pinstripes worn during the 1999–2000 season,  and the 2011–12 away kit, which had a royal blue body and sleeves with hoops made of small midnight navy blue and black stripes, with black shorts and blue socks.  An all-grey away kit worn during the 1995–96 season was dropped after just five games, most notoriously against Southampton where Alex Ferguson forced the team to change into the third kit during half-time of its final outing. The reason for dropping it being that the players claimed to have trouble finding their team-mates against the crowd, United failed to win a competitive game in the kit.  In 2001, to celebrate 100 years as "Manchester United", a reversible white/gold away kit was released, although the actual match day shirts were not reversible. 

The club's third kit is often all-blue, this was most recently the case during the 2014–15 season.  Exceptions include a green-and-gold halved shirt worn between 1992 and 1994, a blue-and-white striped shirt worn during the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons and once in 1996–97, an all-black kit worn during the Treble-winning 1998–99 season, and a white shirt with black-and-red horizontal pinstripes worn between 2003 and 2005.  From 2006–07 to 2013–14, the third kit was typically the previous season's away kit, with the exception of the 2008–09 season. 

Kit evolution

;Notes

Grounds

Newton Heath initially played on a field on North Road, close to the railway yard; the original capacity was about 12,000, but club officials deemed the facilities inadequate for a club hoping to join The Football League.  Some expansion took place in 1887, and in 1891, Newton Heath used its minimal financial reserves to purchase two grandstands, each able to hold 1,000 spectators.  Although attendances were not recorded for many of the earliest matches at North Road, the highest documented attendance was approximately 15,000 for a First Division match against Sunderland on 4 March 1893.  A similar attendance was also recorded for a friendly match against Gorton Villa on 5 September 1889. 

In June 1893, after the club was evicted from North Road by its owners, Manchester Deans and Canons, who felt it was inappropriate for the club to charge an entry fee to the ground, secretary A. H. Albut procured the use of the Bank Street ground in Clayton. It initially had no stands, by the start of the 1893–94 season, two had been built; one spanning the full length of the pitch on one side and the other behind the goal at the "Bradford end". At the opposite end, the "Clayton end", the ground had been "built up, thousands thus being provided for".  Newton Heath's first league match at Bank Street was played against Burnley on 1 September 1893, when 10,000 people saw Alf Farman score a hat-trick, Newton Heath's only goals in a 3–2 win. The remaining stands were completed for the following league game against Nottingham Forest three weeks later. In October 1895, before the visit of Manchester City, the club purchased a 2,000-capacity stand from the Broughton Rangers rugby league club, and put up another stand on the "reserved side" (as distinct from the "popular side"). However, weather restricted the attendance for the Manchester City match to just 12,000. 

When the Bank Street ground was temporarily closed by bailiffs in 1902, club captain Harry Stafford raised enough money to pay for the club's next away game at Bristol City and found a temporary ground at Harpurhey for the next reserves game against Padiham.  Following financial investment, new club president John Henry Davies paid £500 for the erection of a new 1,000-seat stand at Bank Street.  Within four years, the stadium had cover on all four sides, as well as the ability to hold approximately 50,000 spectators, some of whom could watch from the viewing gallery atop the Main Stand.

However, following Manchester United's first league title in 1908 and the FA Cup a year later, it was decided that Bank Street was too restrictive for Davies' ambition; in February 1909, six weeks before the club's first FA Cup title, Old Trafford was named as the home of Manchester United, following the purchase of land for around £60,000. Architect Archibald Leitch was given a budget of £30,000 for construction; original plans called for seating capacity of 100,000, though budget constraints forced a revision to 77,000. The building was constructed by Messrs Brameld and Smith of Manchester. The stadium's record attendance was registered on 25 March 1939, when an FA Cup semi-final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Grimsby Town drew 76,962 spectators. 

Bombing in the Second World War destroyed much of the stadium; the central tunnel in the South Stand was all that remained of that quarter. After the war, the club received compensation from the War Damage Commission in the amount of £22,278. While reconstruction took place, the team played its "home" games at Manchester City's Maine Road ground; Manchester United was charged £5,000 per year, plus a nominal percentage of gate receipts.  Later improvements included the addition of roofs, first to the Stretford End and then to the North and East Stands. The roofs were supported by pillars that obstructed many fans' views, and they were eventually replaced with a cantilevered structure. The Stretford End was the last stand to receive a cantilevered roof, completed in time for the 1993–94 season. First used on 25 March 1957 and costing £40,000, four 180 ft pylons were erected, each housing 54 individual floodlights. These were dismantled in 1987 and replaced by a lighting system embedded in the roof of each stand, which remains in use today. 

The Taylor Report's requirement for an all-seater stadium lowered capacity at Old Trafford to around 44,000 by 1993. In 1995, the North Stand was redeveloped into three tiers, restoring capacity to approximately 55,000. At the end of the 1998–99 season, second tiers were added to the East and West Stands, raising capacity to around 67,000, and between July 2005 and May 2006, 8,000 more seats were added via second tiers in the north-west and north-east quadrants. Part of the new seating was used for the first time on 26 March 2006, when an attendance of 69,070 became a new Premier League record.  The record was pushed steadily upwards before reaching its peak on 31 March 2007, when 76,098 spectators saw Manchester United beat Blackburn Rovers 4–1, with just 114 seats (0.15 per cent of the total capacity of 76,212) unoccupied.  In 2009, reorganisation of the seating resulted in a reduction of capacity by 255 to 75,957.   Manchester United has the second highest average attendance of European football clubs only behind Borussia Dortmund.   

Support

Manchester United is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendance in Europe.  The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Manchester United Supporters Club (MUSC), in at least 24 countries.  The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Manchester United has 75 million fans worldwide, while other estimates put this figure closer to 333 million.  The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona and Real Madrid), with over 67 million Facebook fans as of November 2015.   A 2014 study showed that Manchester United had the loudest fans in the Premier League. 

Supporters are represented by two independent bodies; the Independent Manchester United Supporters' Association (IMUSA), which maintains close links to the club through the MUFC Fans Forum,  and the Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST). After the Glazer family's takeover in 2005, a group of fans formed a splinter club, F.C. United of Manchester. The West Stand of Old Trafford – the "Stretford End" – is the home end and the traditional source of the club's most vocal support. 

Rivalries

Manchester United has rivalries with Arsenal, Leeds United, Liverpool, and Manchester City, against whom they contest the Manchester derby.  

The rivalry with Liverpool is rooted in competition between the cities during the Industrial Revolution when Manchester was famous for its textile industry while Liverpool was a major port.  Manchester United and Liverpool are also the two most successful teams in England and, at many points in their history, they have battled each other for the league title (most recently in the 2008–09 season). Their matches are usually considered by the players and their fans as the biggest in any given season.

The "Roses Rivalry" with Leeds stems from the Wars of the Roses, fought between the House of Lancaster and the House of York, with Manchester United representing Lancashire and Leeds representing Yorkshire. 

The rivalry with Arsenal arises from the numerous times the two teams, as well as managers Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, have battled for the Premier League title. With 33 titles between them (20 for Manchester United, 13 for Arsenal) this fixture has become known as one of the finest Premier League match-ups in history.  

Global brand

Manchester United has been described as a global brand; a 2011 report by Brand Finance, valued the club's trademarks and associated intellectual property at £412 million – an increase of £39 million on the previous year, valuing it at £11 million more than the second best brand, Real Madrid – and gave the brand a strength rating of AAA (Extremely Strong).  In July 2012, Manchester United was ranked first by Forbes magazine in its list of the ten most valuable sports team brands, valuing the Manchester United brand at $2.23 billion.  The club is ranked third in the Deloitte Football Money League (behind Real Madrid and Barcelona).  In January 2013, the club became the first sports team in the world to be valued at $3 billion. Forbes Magazine valued the club at $3.3 billion – $1.2 billion higher than the next most valuable sports team. 

The core strength of Manchester United's global brand is often attributed to Matt Busby's rebuilding of the team and subsequent success following the Munich air disaster, which drew worldwide acclaim. The "iconic" team included Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles (members of England's World Cup winning team), Denis Law and George Best. The attacking style of play adopted by this team (in contrast to the defensive-minded "catenaccio" approach favoured by the leading Italian teams of the era) "captured the imagination of the English footballing public".  Busby's team also became associated with the liberalisation of Western society during the 1960s; George Best, known as the "fifth Beatle" for his iconic haircut, was the first footballer to significantly develop an off-the-field media profile.

As the second English football club to float on the London Stock Exchange in 1991, the club raised significant capital, with which it further developed its commercial strategy. The club's focus on commercial and sporting success brought significant profits in an industry often characterised by chronic losses.  The strength of the Manchester United brand was bolstered by intense off-the-field media attention to individual players, most notably David Beckham (who quickly developed his own global brand). This attention often generates greater interest in on-the-field activities, and hence generates sponsorship opportunities – the value of which is driven by television exposure.  During his time with the club, Beckham's popularity across Asia was integral to the club's commercial success in that part of the world. 

Because higher league placement results in a greater share of television rights, success on the field generates greater income for the club. Since the inception of the Premier League, Manchester United has received the largest share of the revenue generated from the BSkyB broadcasting deal.  Manchester United has also consistently enjoyed the highest commercial income of any English club; in 2005–06, the club's commercial arm generated £51 million, compared to £42.5 million at Chelsea, £39.3 million at Liverpool, £34 million at Arsenal and £27.9 million at Newcastle United. A key sponsorship relationship is with sportswear company Nike, who manage the club's merchandising operation as part of a £303 million 13-year partnership established in 2002.  Through Manchester United Finance and the club's membership scheme, One United, those with an affinity for the club can purchase a range of branded goods and services. Additionally, Manchester United-branded media services – such as the club's dedicated television channel, MUTV – have allowed the club to expand its fan base to those beyond the reach of its Old Trafford stadium.

Sponsorship

In an initial five-year deal worth £500,000, Sharp Electronics became the club's first shirt sponsor at the beginning of the 1982–83 season, a relationship that lasted until the end of the 1999–2000 season, when Vodafone agreed a four-year, £30 million deal.  Vodafone agreed to pay £36 million to extend the deal by four years, but after two seasons triggered a break clause in order to concentrate on its sponsorship of the Champions League.

To commence at the start of the 2006–07 season, American insurance corporation AIG agreed a four-year £56.5 million deal which in September 2006 became the most valuable in the world.   At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, American reinsurance company Aon became the club's principal sponsor in a four-year deal reputed to be worth approximately £80 million, making it the most lucrative shirt sponsorship deal in football history.  Manchester United announced their first training kit sponsor in August 2011, agreeing a four-year deal with DHL reported to be worth £40 million; it is believed to be the first instance of training kit sponsorship in English football.   The DHL contract lasted for over a year before the club bought back the contract in October 2012, although they remained the club's official logistics partner.  The contract for the training kit sponsorship was then sold to Aon in April 2013 for a deal worth £180 million over eight years, which also included purchasing the naming rights for the Trafford Training Centre. 

The club's first kit manufacturer was Umbro, until a five-year deal was agreed with Admiral Sportswear in 1975.  Adidas received the contract in 1980,  before Umbro started a second spell in 1992.  Umbro's sponsorship lasted for ten years, followed by Nike's record-breaking £302.9 million deal that lasted until 2015; 3.8 million replica shirts were sold in the first 22 months with the company.   In addition to Nike and Chevrolet, the club also has several lower-level "platinum" sponsors, including Aon and Budweiser. 

On 30 July 2012, United signed a seven-year deal with American automotive corporation General Motors, which replaced Aon as the shirt sponsor from the 2014–15 season. The new $80m-a-year shirt deal is worth $559m over seven years and features the logo of General Motors brand Chevrolet.   Nike announced that they would not renew their kit supply deal with Manchester United after the 2014–15 season, citing rising costs.   Since the start of the 2015–16 season, Adidas has manufactured Manchester United's kit as part of a world-record 10-year deal worth a minimum of £750 million.  

Ownership and finances

Originally funded by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, the club became a limited company in 1892 and sold shares to local supporters for £1 via an application form. In 1902, majority ownership passed to the four local businessmen who invested £500 to save the club from bankruptcy, including future club president John Henry Davies. After his death in 1927, the club faced bankruptcy yet again, but was saved in December 1931 by James W. Gibson, who assumed control of the club after an investment of £2,000. Gibson promoted his son, Alan, to the board in 1948,  but died three years later; the Gibson family retained ownership of the club through James' wife, Lillian,  but the position of chairman passed to former player Harold Hardman. 

Promoted to the board a few days after the Munich air disaster, Louis Edwards, a friend of Matt Busby, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately £40,000, he accumulated a 54 per cent shareholding and took control in January 1964.  When Lillian Gibson died in January 1971, her shares passed to Alan Gibson who sold a percentage of his shares to Louis Edwards' son, Martin, in 1978; Martin Edwards went on to become chairman upon his father's death in 1980.  Media tycoon Robert Maxwell attempted to buy the club in 1984, but did not meet Edwards' asking price. In 1989, chairman Martin Edwards attempted to sell the club to Michael Knighton for £20 million, but the sale fell through and Knighton joined the Board of Directors instead.

Manchester United was floated on the stock market in June 1991 (raising £6.7 million),  and received yet another takeover bid in 1998, this time from Rupert Murdoch's British Sky Broadcasting Corporation. This resulted in the formation of Shareholders United Against Murdoch – now the Manchester United Supporters' Trust – who encouraged supporters to buy shares in the club in an attempt to block any hostile takeover. The Manchester United board accepted a £623 million offer,  but the takeover was blocked by the Monopolies and Mergers Commission at the final hurdle in April 1999.  A few years later, a power struggle emerged between the club's manager, Alex Ferguson, and his horse-racing partners, John Magnier and J. P. McManus, who had gradually become the majority shareholders. In a dispute that stemmed from contested ownership of the horse Rock of Gibraltar, Magnier and McManus attempted to have Ferguson removed from his position as manager, and the board responded by approaching investors to attempt to reduce the Irishmen's majority. 

In May 2005, Malcolm Glazer purchased the 28.7 per cent stake held by McManus and Magnier, thus acquiring a controlling interest through his investment vehicle Red Football Ltd in a highly leveraged takeover valuing the club at approximately £800 million (then approx. $1.5 billion).  Once the purchase was complete, the club was taken off the stock exchange.  In July 2006, the club announced a £660 million debt refinancing package, resulting in a 30 per cent reduction in annual interest payments to £62 million a year.   In January 2010, with debts of £716.5 million ($1.17 billion),  Manchester United further refinanced through a bond issue worth £504 million, enabling them to pay off most of the £509 million owed to international banks.  The annual interest payable on the bonds – which mature on 1 February 2017 – is approximately £45 million per annum.  Despite restructuring, the club's debt prompted protests from fans on 23 January 2010, at Old Trafford and the club's Trafford Training Centre.   Supporter groups encouraged match-going fans to wear green and gold, the colours of Newton Heath. On 30 January, reports emerged that the Manchester United Supporters' Trust had held meetings with a group of wealthy fans, dubbed the "Red Knights", with plans to buying out the Glazers' controlling interest. 

In August 2011, the Glazers were believed to have approached Credit Suisse in preparation for a $1 billion (approx. £600 million) initial public offering (IPO) on the Singapore stock exchange that would value the club at more than £2 billion.  However, in July 2012, the club announced plans to list its IPO on the New York Stock Exchange instead.  Shares were originally set to go on sale for between $16 and $20 each, but the price was cut to $14 by the launch of the IPO on 10 August, following negative comments from Wall Street analysts and Facebook's disappointing stock market debut in May. Even after the cut, Manchester United was valued at $2.3 billion, making it the most valuable football club in the world. 

Players

First-team squad

   

 

 

 

On loan

 

Reserves and academy

Former players

Club captains

Player records

Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year

Club officials

* Owner: Glazer family via Red Football Shareholder Limited 
* Honorary president: Martin Edwards 

;Manchester United Limited
* Co-chairmen: Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer 
* Executive Vice Chairman: Ed Woodward
* Group Managing Director: Richard Arnold
* Chief Financial Officer: Cliff Baty 
* Commercial Director: Jamieson Reigle 
* Non-executive directors: Bryan Glazer, Kevin Glazer, Edward Glazer, Darcie Glazer Kassewitz, Robert Leitão, John Hooks and Manu Sawhney

;Manchester United Football Club
* Directors: David Gill, Michael Edelson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Alex Ferguson 
* Club secretary: John Alexander 
* Club ambassadors: Andy Cole,  Gary Neville,  Bryan Robson,  Peter Schmeichel,  Bobby Charlton, Alex Ferguson, Park Ji-sung 

;Senior club staff
* Director of Group Operations: Paddy Lord
* Director of Communications: Phil Townsend
* Director of Business Development: Alan Dawson
* Director of Legal and Business Affairs: Patrick Stewart
* Director of Marketing: Jonathan Rigby
* Director of Finance & IT: Steve Deaville
* Director of Facilities: Clive Snell
* Ticket Office Manager: Sam Kelleher 
* Safety Officer: Charlie Coxon
* Stadium Manager: Ian Collins
* Grounds Manager: Anthony Sinclair

;Coaching staff
* Manager: José Mourinho 
* Assistant manager: Rui Faria 
* Coach: Silvino Louro
* Coach: Ricardo Formosinho
* Goalkeeping coach: Emilio Alvarez
* Fitness coach: Carlos Lalin
* Tactical analyst: Giovanni Cerra
* Head of first-team development: John Murtough 
* Under-21s team manager: Warren Joyce 
* Chief scout: Jim Lawlor 

;Academy coaching staff
* Director of youth academy: Nicky Butt 
* Head of Academy Operations: Nick Cox
* Under-18 head coach: Tommy Martin 
* Under-13–16 head coach: Colin Little
* Under-11–12 head coach: Tony Whelan
* Under-9–10 head coach: Eamon Mulvey
* Academy goalkeeping coach: Alan Fettis 
* Academy goalkeeping coach (U9s–U16s): Jack Robinson 
* Academy coaches: Eddie Leach, Mike Glennie

;Medical & sports science staff
* Club doctor: Dr. Steve McNally 
* Assistant club doctor: Dr. Tony Gill
* First team physiotherapist: Neil Hough 
* Senior academy physiotherapist: Mandy Johnson
* Academy physiotherapists: John Davin & Richard Merron
* Masseurs: Gary Armer, Rod Thornley & Andy Caveney
* Club dietician: Trevor Lea
* Head of Performance: Tony Strudwick 
* Head of Strength & Conditioning: Dr. Gary Walker 
* Head of Human Performance: Dr. Richard Hawkins 
* Head of Recovery & Regeneration: Robin Thorpe
* First Team Senior Sports Scientist: David M. Kelly
* Sports Scientist: Paulo Gaudino

Managerial history

Honours

Manchester United are one of the most successful clubs in Europe.  The club's first trophy was the Manchester Cup, which it won as Newton Heath LYR in 1886.  In 1908, the club won its first league title, and won the FA Cup for the first time the following year. Manchester United won the most trophies in the 1990s; five league titles, four FA Cups, one League Cup, five Charity Shields (one shared), one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and one Intercontinental Cup.

The club holds the record for most top-division titles (20) – including a record 13 Premier League titles – FA Cups (12) and FA Community Shields (20). It was also the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968 and  is the only British club to have won the Club World Cup, in 2008. United also became the sole British club to win the Intercontinental Cup in 1999. The club's most recent trophy came in May 2016 with the 2015–16 FA Cup.

The only major honour that Manchester United has never won is the UEFA Europa League,  although the team reached the quarter-finals in 1984–85 and the semi-finals of the competition's precursor tournament, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, in 1964–65.  

Domestic

League

* First Division (until 1992) and Premier League:Upon its formation in 1992, the Premier League became the top tier of English football; the First and Second Divisions then became the second and third tiers, respectively. The First Division is now known as the Football League Championship and the Second Division is now known as Football League One. 20
** 1907–08, 1910–11, 1951–52, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1964–65, 1966–67, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 (record)
* Second Division: 2
** 1935–36, 1974–75

Cups

* FA Cup: 12
** 1908–09, 1947–48, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2015–16 (shared record)
* League Cup: 4
** 1991–92, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10
* FA Charity/Community Shield: 20 (16 outright, 4 shared)
** 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965*, 1967*, 1977*, 1983, 1990*, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 (* shared) (record)

European

* European Cup/UEFA Champions League: 3
** 1967–68, 1998–99, 2007–08
* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
** 1990–91
* UEFA Super Cup: 1
** 1991

Worldwide

* Intercontinental Cup: 1
** 1999
* FIFA Club World Cup: 1
** 2008

Doubles and Trebles

* Doubles:
** League and FA Cup: 2
*** 1993–94, 1995–96
** League and League Cup: 1
*** 2008–09
** European Double (League and European Cup): 1
*** 2007–08
* "The Treble" (League, FA Cup and European Cup): 1
** 1998–99

Especially short competitions such as the Charity/Community Shield, Intercontinental Cup (now defunct), FIFA Club World Cup or UEFA Super Cup are not generally considered to contribute towards a Double or Treble. The Premier League is an English professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL; known as "The Football League" before 2016–17). Welsh clubs that compete in the English football league system can also qualify.

The Premier League is a corporation in which the 20 member clubs act as shareholders. Seasons run from August to May.  Teams play 38 matches each (playing each team in the league twice, home and away), totalling 380 matches in the season.  Most games are played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons; others during weekday evenings. It is colloquially known as the Premiership and outside the UK it is commonly referred to as the English Premier League (EPL).

The competition formed as the FA Premier League on 20 February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from the Football League, which was originally founded in 1888, and take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal.  The deal was worth £1 billion a year domestically as of 2013–14, with BSkyB and BT Group securing the domestic rights to broadcast 116 and 38 games respectively.  The league generates €2.2 billion per year in domestic and international television rights.  In 2014/15, teams were apportioned revenues of £1.6 billion. 

The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people.  In the 2014–15 season, the average Premier League match attendance exceeded 36,000,  second highest of any professional football league behind the Bundesliga's 43,500.   Most stadium occupancies are near capacity.  The Premier League ranks third in the UEFA coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons. 

While 47 clubs have competed since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, only six have won the title: Manchester United (13), Chelsea (4), Arsenal (3), Manchester City (2), Blackburn Rovers and Leicester City (1). The current champions are Leicester City, who won the title in 2015–16.

History 

Origins 

Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late '80s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities, hooliganism was rife, and English clubs were banned from European competition for five years following the Heysel Stadium disaster in 1985.  The Football League First Division, the top level of English football since 1888, was behind leagues such as Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga in attendances and revenues, and several top English players had moved abroad. 

By the turn of the 1990s the downward trend was starting to reverse: at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, England reached the semi-finals; UEFA, European football's governing body, lifted the five-year ban on English clubs playing in European competitions in 1990, resulting in Manchester United lifting the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, and the Taylor Report on stadium safety standards, which proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums in the aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster, was published in January of that year. 

Revenue from television also became more important: the Football League received £6.3 million for a two-year agreement in 1986, but when that deal was renewed in 1988, the price rose to £44 million over four years.  The 1988 negotiations were the first signs of a breakaway league: ten clubs  threatened to leave and form a "super league", but were eventually persuaded to stay.  As stadiums improved and match attendance and revenues rose, the country's top teams again considered leaving the Football League in order to capitalise on the influx of money into the sport.

Foundation 

At the close of the 1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991 by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League.  The newly formed top division would have commercial independence from The Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe.

The managing director of London Weekend Television (LWT), Greg Dyke, met with the representatives of the "big five"   football clubs in England in 1990. The meeting was to pave the way for a break away from The Football League. Dyke believed that it would be more lucrative for LWT if only the larger clubs in the country were featured on national television and wanted to establish whether the clubs would be interested in a larger share of television rights money. The five clubs decided it was a good idea and decided to press ahead with it; however, the league would have no credibility without the backing of The Football Association and so David Dein of Arsenal held talks to see whether the FA were receptive to the idea. The FA did not enjoy an amicable relationship with the Football League at the time and considered it as a way to weaken the Football League's position.

In 1992, the First Division clubs resigned from the Football League en masse and on 27 May 1992 the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in Lancaster Gate. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with a single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.

The league held its first season in 1992–93 and was originally composed of 22 clubs. The first ever Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United.  The 22 inaugural members of the new Premier League were Arsenal, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Coventry City, Crystal Palace, Everton, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Middlesbrough, Norwich City, Nottingham Forest, Oldham Athletic, Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield United, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, and Wimbledon.  Luton Town, Notts County and West Ham United were the three teams relegated from the old first division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season.

"Big Four" dominance (2000s) 

One significant feature of the Premier League in the mid-2000s was the dominance of the so-called "Big Four" clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.  During this decade, and particularly from 2002 to 2009, they dominated the top four spots, which came with UEFA Champions League qualification, taking all top four places in 5 out of 6 seasons from 2003–04 to 2008–09 inclusive, with Arsenal going as far as winning the league without losing a single game in 2003–04, the only time it has ever happened in the Premier League.  In May 2008 Kevin Keegan stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division, "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world."  Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said in defence: "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle or at the bottom that make it interesting." 

The years following 2009 marked a shift in the structure of the "Big Four" with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City both breaking into the top four.  In the 2009–10 season, Tottenham finished fourth and became the first team to break the top four since Everton in 2005.  Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs.  Manchester City won the title in the 2011–12 season, becoming the first club outside the "Big Four" to win since 1994–95. That season also saw two of the Big Four (Chelsea and Liverpool) finish outside the top four places for the first time since 1994–95. In the following four seasons, Manchester United found themselves outside of the top four twice (in 2013–14 and 2015–16) while Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season and Liverpool finished outside the top four in three of those four seasons. Arsenal, however, remained in the top four in all four seasons and have never finished outside the top four since Arsène Wenger took charge of the club in 1996. 

Development 

Due to insistence by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the international governing body of football, that domestic leagues reduce the number of games clubs played, the number of clubs was reduced to 20 in 1995 when four teams were relegated from the league and only two teams promoted. On 8 June 2006, FIFA requested that all major European leagues, including Italy's Serie A and Spain's La Liga be reduced to 18 teams by the start of the 2007–08 season. The Premier League responded by announcing their intention to resist such a reduction.  Ultimately, the 2007–08 season kicked off again with 20 teams.

The league changed its name from the FA Premier League to simply the Premier League in 2007. 

Corporate structure 

The Football Association Premier League Ltd (FAPL)    is operated as a corporation and is owned by the 20 member clubs. Each club is a shareholder, with one vote each on issues such as rule changes and contracts. The clubs elect a chairman, chief executive, and board of directors to oversee the daily operations of the league.  The current chairman is Sir Dave Richards, who was appointed in April 1999, and the chief executive is Richard Scudamore, appointed in November 1999.  The former chairman and chief executive, John Quinton and Peter Leaver, were forced to resign in March 1999 after awarding consultancy contracts to former Sky executives Sam Chisholm and David Chance.  The Football Association is not directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Premier League, but has veto power as a special shareholder during the election of the chairman and chief executive and when new rules are adopted by the league. 

The Premier League sends representatives to UEFA's European Club Association, the number of clubs and the clubs themselves chosen according to UEFA coefficients. For the 2012–13 season the Premier League has 10 representatives in the Association: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.  The European Club Association is responsible for electing three members to UEFA's Club Competitions Committee, which is involved in the operations of UEFA competitions such as the Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Competition format 

Competition 

There are 20 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.  The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Football League Championship, and the top two teams from the Championship, together with the winner of play-offs involving the third to sixth placed Championship clubs, are promoted in their place.

Qualification for European competitions 

As of the 2009–10 season qualification for the UEFA Champions League changed, the top four teams in the Premier League qualify for the UEFA Champions League, with the top three teams directly entering the group stage. Previously only the top two teams qualified automatically. The fourth-placed team enters the Champions League at the play-off round for non-champions and must win a two-legged knockout tie in order to enter the group stage. 

The team placed fifth in the Premier League automatically qualifies for the UEFA Europa League, and the sixth and seventh-placed teams can also qualify, depending on the winners of the two domestic cup competitions i.e. the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup (League Cup). Two Europa League places are reserved for the winners of each tournament; if the winner of either the FA Cup or League Cup qualifies for the Champions League, then that place will go to the next-best placed finisher in the Premier League.   A further place in the UEFA Europa League is also available via the Fair Play initiative. If the Premier League has one of the three highest Fair Play rankings in Europe, the highest ranked team in the Premier League Fair Play standings which has not already qualified for Europe will automatically qualify for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. 

An exception to the usual European qualification system happened in 2005, after Liverpool won the Champions League the year before, but did not finish in a Champions League qualification place in the Premier League that season. UEFA gave special dispensation for Liverpool to enter the Champions League, giving England five qualifiers.  UEFA subsequently ruled that the defending champions qualify for the competition the following year regardless of their domestic league placing. However, for those leagues with four entrants in the Champions League, this meant that if the Champions League winner finished outside the top four in its domestic league, it would qualify at the expense of the fourth-placed team in the league. At that time, no association could have more than four entrants in the Champions League.  This occurred in 2012, when Chelsea – who had won the Champions League the previous year, but finished sixth in the league – qualified for the Champions League in place of Tottenham Hotspur, who went into the Europa League. 

Starting with the 2015–16 season, the Europa League champion automatically qualifies for the following season's Champions League, and the maximum number of Champions League places for any single association has increased to five. An association with four Champions League places, such as The FA, will only earn a fifth place if a club from that association that does not qualify for the Champions League through its league wins either the Champions League or Europa League. 

In 2007, the Premier League became the highest ranking European League based on the performances of English teams in European competitions over a five-year period. This broke the eight-year dominance of the Spanish league, La Liga. 

Premier League clubs in international competition

Between the 1992–93 season and the 2015–16 season, Premier League clubs had won the UEFA Champions League four times (as well as supplying five of the runners-up), behind Spain's La Liga with nine wins, and Italy's Serie A with five wins, and ahead of, among others, Germany's Bundesliga with three wins (see table here). The FIFA Club World Cup (or the FIFA Club World Championship, as it was originally called) has been won by Premier League clubs once (Manchester United in 2008),  and they have also been runners-up twice, behind Brazil's Brasileirão     and Spain's La Liga with four wins,   and Italy's Serie A   with two wins (see table here).

Clubs

A total of 47 clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the 2016–17 season.

Champions

;Wins by club

Clubs by spell 

Due to promotion and relegation, only six of the founder members of the Premier League have never been relegated from it, while another six founders have never returned after being relegated once. Out of the 25 clubs who have gained promotion to the league since it was created, only three have remained without a subsequent relegation, while seven have been relegated after just one spell. The remaining fifteen clubs have spent multiple spells in the league, up to five in the case of founder member Crystal Palace.

2016–17 season

The following 20 clubs will compete in the Premier League during the 2016–17 season.

* Newcastle United, Norwich City and Aston Villa were relegated to the Championship for the 2016–17 season, while Burnley, Middlesbrough and Hull City, as winners, runners-up and play-off final winners respectively, were promoted from the 2015–16 Championship season.
*AFC Bournemouth, Stoke and Swansea are the only clubs to have remained in the Premier League since their first promotion, having played 2, 8 and 5 seasons (out of 25) respectively.

a: Founding member of the Premier League
b: Never been relegated from Premier League
c: One of the original 12 Football League teams
d: Club based in Wales

Non-English clubs

;Wales
In 2011, a Welsh club participated in the Premier League for the first time after Swansea City gained promotion.   The first Premier League match to be played outside England was Swansea City's home match at the Liberty Stadium against Wigan Athletic on 20 August 2011.  In 2012–13, Swansea qualified for the Europa League by winning the League Cup.  The number of Welsh clubs in the Premier League increased to two for the first time in 2013–14, as Cardiff City gained promotion,  but Cardiff City was relegated after its maiden season.

Because they are members of the Football Association of Wales (FAW), the question of whether clubs like Swansea should represent England or Wales in European competitions has caused long-running discussions in UEFA. Swansea took one of England's three available places in the Europa League in 2013–14 by winning the League Cup in 2012–13. The right of Welsh clubs to take up such English places was in doubt until UEFA clarified the matter in March 2012. 

;Scotland and Ireland
Participation in the Premier League by some Scottish or Irish clubs has sometimes been discussed, but without result.
The idea came closest to reality in 1998, when Wimbledon received Premier League approval to relocate to Dublin, Ireland, but the move was blocked by the Football Association of Ireland.   Additionally, the media occasionally discusses the idea that Scotland's two biggest teams, Celtic and Rangers, should or will take part in the Premier League, but nothing has come of these discussions.  

Sponsorship 

From 1993 to 2016, the Premier League had title sponsorship rights sold to two companies; Barclays was the most recent title sponsor, having sponsored the Premier League from 2001 through 2016 (until 2004, the title sponsorship was held through its Barclaycard brand before shifting to its main banking brand in 2004). 

Barclays' deal with the Premier League will expire at the end of the 2015–16 season. The FA announced on 4 June 2015 that it would not pursue any further title sponsorship deals for the Premier League, arguing that they wanted to build a "clean" brand for the competition more in line with those of major U.S. sports leagues.

As well as sponsorship for the league itself, the Premier League has a number of official partners and suppliers.  The official ball supplier for the league is Nike who have had the contract since the 2000–01 season when they took over from Mitre. 

Finances 

The Premier League has the highest revenue of any football league in the world, with total club revenues of €2.48 billion in 2009–10.   In 2013–14, due to improved television revenues and cost controls, the Premier League had net profits in excess of £78 million, exceeding all other football leagues.  In 2010 the Premier League was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category for its outstanding contribution to international trade and the value it brings to English football and the United Kingdom's broadcasting industry. 

The Premier League includes some of the richest football clubs in the world. Deloitte's "Football Money League" listed seven Premier League clubs in the top 20 for the 2009–10 season, and all 20 clubs were in the top 40 globally by the end of the 2013–14 season, largely as a result of increased broadcasting revenue.  From 2013, the league generates €2.2 billion per year in domestic and international television rights.

Premier League clubs agreed in principle in December 2012, to radical new cost controls. The two proposals consist of a break-even rule and a cap on the amount clubs can increase their wage bill by each season. With the new television deals on the horizon, momentum has been growing to find ways of preventing the majority of the cash going straight to players and agents. 

Media coverage 

United Kingdom and Ireland 

Television has played a major role in the history of the Premier League. The League's decision to assign broadcasting rights to BSkyB in 1992 was at the time a radical decision, but one that has paid off. At the time pay television was an almost untested proposition in the UK market, as was charging fans to watch live televised football. However, a combination of Sky's strategy, the quality of Premier League football and the public's appetite for the game has seen the value of the Premier League's TV rights soar.

The Premier League sells its television rights on a collective basis. This is in contrast to some other European Leagues, including La Liga, in which each club sells its rights individually, leading to a much higher share of the total income going to the top few clubs.  The money is divided into three parts:  half is divided equally between the clubs; one quarter is awarded on a merit basis based on final league position, the top club getting twenty times as much as the bottom club, and equal steps all the way down the table; the final quarter is paid out as facilities fees for games that are shown on television, with the top clubs generally receiving the largest shares of this. The income from overseas rights is divided equally between the twenty clubs. 

The first Sky television rights agreement was worth £304 million over five seasons.  The next contract, negotiated to start from the 1997–98 season, rose to £670 million over four seasons. The third contract was a £1.024 billion deal with BSkyB for the three seasons from 2001–02 to 2003–04. The league brought in £320 million from the sale of its international rights for the three-year period from 2004–05 to 2006–07. It sold the rights itself on a territory-by-territory basis.  Sky's monopoly was broken from August 2006 when Setanta Sports was awarded rights to show two out of the six packages of matches available. This occurred following an insistence by the European Commission that exclusive rights should not be sold to one television company. Sky and Setanta paid a total of £1.7 billion, a two-thirds increase which took many commentators by surprise as it had been widely assumed that the value of the rights had levelled off following many years of rapid growth. Setanta also hold rights to a live 3 pm match solely for Irish viewers. The BBC has retained the rights to show highlights for the same three seasons (on Match of the Day) for £171.6 million, a 63 per cent increase on the £105 million it paid for the previous three-year period.  Sky and BT have agreed to jointly pay £84.3 million for delayed television rights to 242 games (that is the right to broadcast them in full on television and over the internet) in most cases for a period of 50 hours after 10 pm on matchday.  Overseas television rights fetched £625 million, nearly double the previous contract.  The total raised from these deals is more than £2.7 billion, giving Premier League clubs an average media income from league games of around £40 million-a-year from 2007 to 2010. 

The TV rights agreement between the Premier League and Sky has faced accusations of being a cartel, and a number of court cases have arisen as a result.  An investigation by the Office of Fair Trading in 2002 found BSkyB to be dominant within the pay TV sports market, but concluded that there were insufficient grounds for the claim that BSkyB had abused its dominant position.  In July 1999 the Premier League's method of selling rights collectively for all member clubs was investigated by the UK Restrictive Practices Court, who concluded that the agreement was not contrary to the public interest. 

The BBC's highlights package on Saturday and Sunday nights, as well as other evenings when fixtures justify, will run until 2016.  Television rights alone for the period 2010 to 2013 have been purchased for £1.782 billion.  On 22 June 2009, due to troubles encountered by Setanta Sports after it failed to meet a final deadline over a £30 million payment to the Premier League, ESPN was awarded two packages of UK rights containing a total of 46 matches that were available for the 2009–10 season as well as a package of 23 matches per season from 2010–11 to 2012–13.  On 13 June 2012, the Premier League announced that BT had been awarded 38 games a season for the 2013–14 through 2015–16 seasons at £246 million-a-year. The remaining 116 games were retained by Sky who paid £760 million-a-year. The total domestic rights have raised £3.018 billion, an increase of 70.2% over the 2010–11 to 2012–13 rights.  The value of the licensing deal rose by another 70.2% in 2015, when Sky and BT paid a total of £5.136 billion to renew their contracts with the Premier League for another three years up to the 2018–19 season. 

UK highlights

Between the 1998–99 season and the 2012–13 season, RTÉ broadcast highlights on Premier Soccer Saturday and occasionally Premier Soccer Sunday. During then between the 2004–05 season and the 2006–07 season, RTÉ broadcast 15 live matches on a Saturday afternoon with each match being called Premiership Live.

Worldwide 

The Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world, broadcast in 212 territories to 643 million homes and a potential TV audience of 4.7 billion people, often on networks owned and/or controlled by 21st Century Fox (which owns about 39% of BSkyB in the UK). The Premier League's production arm, Premier League Productions, is operated by IMG Productions and produces all content for its international television partners.

The Premier League is particularly popular in Asia, where it is the most widely distributed sports programme.  In Australia, Fox Sports broadcasts almost all of the season's 380 matches live,  and Foxtel gives subscribers the option of selecting which Saturday 3pm match to watch.  In India, the matches are broadcast live on STAR Sports. In China, the broadcast rights were awarded to Super Sports in a six-year agreement that began in the 2013–14 season.  As of the 2013–14 season, Canadian broadcast rights to the Premier League are jointly owned by Sportsnet and TSN, with both rival networks holding rights to 190 matches per season.

The Premier League is broadcast in the United States through NBC Sports.   
Premier League viewership has increased rapidly, with NBC and NBCSN averaging a record 479,000 viewers in the 2014–15 season, up 118% from 2012–13 when coverage still aired on Fox Soccer and ESPN/ESPN2 (220,000 viewers),  and NBC Sports has been widely praised for its coverage.   NBC Sports reached a six-year extension with the Premier League in 2015 to broadcast the league through the 2021–22 season in a deal valued at $1 billion (£640 million). 

Widening gap with lower leagues 

There has been an increasing gulf between the Premier League and the Football League. Since its split with the Football League, many established clubs in the Premier League have managed to distance themselves from their counterparts in lower leagues. Owing in large part to the disparity in revenue from television rights between the leagues,  many newly promoted teams have found it difficult to avoid relegation in their first season in the Premier League. In every season except 2001–02 and 2011–12, at least one Premier League newcomer has been relegated back to the Football League. In 1997–98 all three promoted clubs were relegated at the end of the season. 

The Premier League distributes a portion of its television revenue to clubs that are relegated from the league in the form of "parachute payments". Starting with the 2013–14 season, these payments are in excess of £60 million over four seasons.  Though designed to help teams adjust to the loss of television revenues (the average Premier League team receives £55 million  while the average Football League Championship club receives £2 million),  critics maintain that the payments actually widen the gap between teams that have reached the Premier League and those that have not,  leading to the common occurrence of teams "bouncing back" soon after their relegation. For some clubs who have failed to win immediate promotion back to the Premier League, financial problems, including in some cases administration or even liquidation have followed. Further relegations down the footballing ladder have ensued for several clubs unable to cope with the gap. 

Stadiums 

As of the 2015–16 season, Premier League football has been played in 53 stadiums since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989 and the subsequent Taylor Report saw a recommendation that standing terraces should be abolished; as a result all stadiums in the Premier League are all-seater.   Since the formation of the Premier League, football grounds in England have seen constant improvements to capacity and facilities, with some clubs moving to new-build stadiums.  Nine stadiums that have seen Premier League football have now been demolished. The stadiums for the 2010–11 season show a large disparity in capacity: Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United has a capacity of 75,957  with Bloomfield Road, the home of Blackpool, having a capacity of 16,220.  The combined total capacity of the Premier League in the 2010–11 season is 770,477 with an average capacity of 38,523. 

Stadium attendances are a significant source of regular income for Premier League clubs.  For the 2009–10 season, average attendances across the league clubs were 34,215 for Premier League matches with a total aggregate attendance figure of 13,001,616. This represents an increase of 13,089 from the average attendance of 21,126 recorded in the league's first season (1992–93).  However, during the 1992–93 season the capacities of most stadiums were reduced as clubs replaced terraces with seats in order to meet the Taylor Report's 1994–95 deadline for all-seater stadiums.   The Premier League's record average attendance of 36,144 was set during the 2007–08 season.  This record was then beaten in the 2013–14 season recording an average attendance of 36,695 with a total attendance of just under 14 million, the highest average in England's top flight since 1950. 

Managers 

Managers in the Premier League are involved in the day-to-day running of the team, including the training, team selection, and player acquisition. Their influence varies from club-to-club and is related to the ownership of the club and the relationship of the manager with fans.  Managers are required to have a UEFA Pro Licence which is the final coaching qualification available, and follows the completion of the UEFA 'B' and 'A' Licences.  The UEFA Pro Licence is required by every person who wishes to manage a club in the Premier League on a permanent basis (i.e. more than 12 weeks – the amount of time an unqualified caretaker manager is allowed to take control).  Caretaker appointments are managers that fill the gap between a managerial departure and a new appointment. Several caretaker managers have gone on to secure a permanent managerial post after performing well as a caretaker; examples include Paul Hart at Portsmouth and David Pleat at Tottenham Hotspur.

The league's longest-serving manager was Alex Ferguson, who was in charge of Manchester United from November 1986 until his retirement at the end of the 2012–13 season, meaning that he was manager for all of the first 21 seasons of the Premier League. Arsène Wenger is now the league's longest-serving current manager, having been in charge of Arsenal in the Premier League since 1996. 

No English manager has won the Premier League; the eight managers to have won the title comprise two Scots: Alex Ferguson (Manchester United, 13 wins) and Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn Rovers, one win), a Frenchman (Arsène Wenger, Arsenal, three wins), a Portuguese (José Mourinho, Chelsea, three wins), a Chilean (Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City, one win) and three Italians (Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea, Roberto Mancini, Manchester City, and Claudio Ranieri, Leicester City, one win each). 

The current managers in the Premier League are:

Players 

Appearances 

Ryan Giggs holds the record number of Premier League appearances and he also has 13 Premier League champion's medals, more than any other player. 

Foreign players and transfer regulations 

At the inception of the Premier League in 1992–93, just eleven players named in the starting line-ups for the first round of matches hailed from outside of the United Kingdom or Ireland.  By 2000–01, the number of foreign players participating in the Premier League was 36 per cent of the total. In the 2004–05 season the figure had increased to 45 per cent. On 26 December 1999, Chelsea became the first Premier League side to field an entirely foreign starting line-up,  and on 14 February 2005 Arsenal were the first to name a completely foreign 16-man squad for a match.  By 2009, under 40% of the players in the Premier League were English. 

In response to concerns that clubs were increasingly passing over young English players in favour of foreign players, in 1999, the Home Office tightened its rules for granting work permits to players from countries outside of the European Union.  A non-EU player applying for the permit must have played for his country in at least 75 per cent of its competitive 'A' team matches for which he was available for selection during the previous two years, and his country must have averaged at least 70th place in the official FIFA world rankings over the previous two years. If a player does not meet those criteria, the club wishing to sign him may appeal.

Players may only be transferred during transfer windows that are set by the Football Association. The two transfer windows run from the last day of the season to 31 August and from 31 December to 31 January. Player registrations cannot be exchanged outside these windows except under specific licence from the FA, usually on an emergency basis.  As of the 2010–11 season, the Premier League introduced new rules mandating that each club must register a maximum 25-man squad of players aged over 21, with the squad list only allowed to be changed in transfer windows or in exceptional circumstances. This was to enable the 'home grown' rule to be enacted, whereby the League would also from 2010 require at least 8 of the named 25 man squad to be made up of 'home-grown players'.

Player wages and transfer fees 

There is no team or individual salary cap in the Premier League. As a result of the increasingly lucrative television deals, player wages rose sharply following the formation of the Premier League when the average player wage was £75,000 per year.  The average salary stands at £1.1 million as of the 2008–09 season.  As of 2015, average salaries in the Premier League are higher than for any other football league in the world. 

The record transfer fee for a Premier League player has risen steadily over the lifetime of the competition. Prior to the start of the first Premier League season Alan Shearer became the first British player to command a transfer fee of more than £3 million.  The record rose steadily in the Premier League's first few seasons, until Alan Shearer made a record breaking £15 million move to Newcastle United in 1996. 
The three highest transfer in the sport's history had a Premier League club on the selling end, with Tottenham Hotspur selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for £85 million in 2013,  Manchester United's sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for £80 million in 2009,  and Liverpool selling Luis Suárez to Barcelona for £75 million in 2014. 

Top scorers

Italics denotes players still playing professional football,Bold denotes players still playing in the Premier League.

The Golden Boot is awarded to the top Premier League scorer at the end of each season. Former Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer holds the record for most Premier League goals with 260.  Twenty-four players have reached the 100-goal mark. 
Since the first Premier League season in 1992–93, 14 different players from 10 different clubs have won or shared the top scorers title.  Thierry Henry won his fourth overall scoring title by scoring 27 goals in the 2005–06 season. Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer hold the record for most goals in a season (34) – for Newcastle and Blackburn respectively.  Ryan Giggs of Manchester United holds the record for scoring goals in consecutive seasons, having scored in the first 21 seasons of the league. 

Awards

Trophy 

The Premier League maintains two trophies – the genuine trophy (held by the reigning champions) and a spare replica. Two trophies are held in the event that two different clubs could win the League on the final day of the season.  In the rare event that more than two clubs are vying for the title on the final day of the season – then a replica won by a previous club is used. 

The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal Jewellers Asprey of London. It consists of a trophy with a golden crown and a malachite plinth base. The plinth weighs 33 lb and the trophy weighs 22 lb.  The trophy and plinth are 76 cm tall, 43 cm wide and 25 cm deep. 

Its main body is solid sterling silver and silver gilt, while its plinth is made of malachite, a semi-precious stone. The plinth has a silver band around its circumference, upon which the names of the title-winning clubs are listed. Malachite's green colour is also representative of the green field of play. The design of the trophy is based on the heraldry of Three Lions that is associated with English football. Two of the lions are found above the handles on either side of the trophy – the third is symbolised by the captain of the title winning team as he raises the trophy, and its gold crown, above his head at the end of the season.  The ribbons that drape the handles are presented in the team colours of the league champions that year.

In 2004, a special gold version of the trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title without a single defeat. 

Player and manager awards 

In addition to the winner's trophy and the individual winner's medals awarded to players, the Premier League also awards the monthly Manager of the Month and Player of the Month awards,  as well as annual awards for Manager of the Season,  Player of the Season, Golden Boot and the Golden Glove awards. 

20 Seasons Awards 

In 2012, the Premier League celebrated its second decade by holding the 20 Seasons Awards: 

* Fantasy Team of the 20 Seasons
** Panel Choice: Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer
** Public Vote: Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Nemanja Vidić, Ashley Cole, Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer

 
* Best Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
* Best Player: Ryan Giggs
* Most Appearances: Ryan Giggs (598)
* Top Goalscorer: Alan Shearer (260)
* Most Clean Sheets: David James (173)
* 500 Club: Ryan Giggs, David James, Gary Speed, Frank Lampard, Emile Heskey, and Sol Campbell.
* Best Goal: Wayne Rooney, 12 February 2011, Man. United vs Man. City
* Best Save: Craig Gordon, 18 December 2010, Sunderland vs Bolton
* Best Team: 2003–04 Arsenal
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