Wayne Rooney read heartfelt poem to his teammates in 2002, recalls former England youth coach Dick Bate

Wayne Rooney’s poetic side has been revealed by his former England youth coach Dick Bate.

Bate spoke to the Independent about the time when Rooney read a poem he wrote in front of his teammates.

Taking charge of the U17 England side for the 2002 European Championships, Bate was impressed by Rooney’s ability and taken aback by his request to read a poem entitled ‘When Saturday Comes’, along with teammate James Biggins, to the rest of the squad.

In an extract from the interview, Bate said: “I think it took most of the group aback.

“Here was a young boy just expressing his love for England in the best format and most succinct manner he could.”

He didn’t reveal the content of the poem but he did say: “I have never seen anyone stand up and do that before. I will never forget it.”