Wayne Rooney revealed he often practices shooting from beyond midfield after his incredible goal for DC United against Orlando City in MLS play Wednesday.
Rooney, 33, scored from well inside his own half with an amazing strike, giving DC a 1-0 victory.
Take a bow, @WayneRooney! You are ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/On1oDnp8dX
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 27, 2019
The former England captain, who scored similar goals for Manchester United and Everton, said it was the type of effort he rehearsed during training — often to the bewilderment of coaches and teammates.
"I thought it was nice and it was special to score the goal. It's something that I've practiced so many times," Rooney said, via DC United's official website.
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"Different managers and teammates are like, 'Why are you practicing this? You won't score from this position.' But for nights like tonight, that's why I do practice it.
"It was a good strike and an important goal for us."
Friday marks exactly a year since Rooney signed with DC United, and he has scored 21 goals in 38 MLS games since joining.
Rooney, whose goal saw DC end a five-game winless league run, said he has loved his time in the United States.
"It's been fantastic. I've enjoyed my time here over the course of the year and there is still a lot more to come," he said.
"We know we can play better. First half we played well, second half we know we can do better, but the win was the important thing because we haven't won in a few games in the league.
"Winning was the main thing."