🏆 The 25 greatest players of the last 25 years: A prodigy in 25th place | OneFootball

Welcome to OneFootball's definitive ranking of the 25 greatest players of the last 25 years.

Over the next 25 days, we will be counting down our top 25 men's footballers of the 21st century so far, before revealing the winner on 1st January 2025.

Today, our countdown begins with...

25th: Wayne Rooney (151 points)

Wayne Rooney was one of England's greatest natural talents, bursting onto the scene as a teenage prodigy for boyhood club Everton before moving to Manchester United, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer with 253 goals.

Known for his versatility, tenacity and technique, Rooney won five Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League, and numerous domestic trophies during his time at United. The striker also became England's record goal-scorer with 53 goals in 120 appearances, cementing his legacy as one of the sport's modern legends.

Fun fact

📸 OLI SCARFF

Rooney once revealed his love for boxing and even trained as a boxer in his youth before focusing solely on football. His passion for the sport was so strong that during his playing days, he sometimes used boxing training to stay fit, and he even celebrated a goal for Manchester United by mimicking a knockout punch.

Watch him in action

How we voted

Thirty-eight members of OneFootball's global editorial team ranked their top 25 players of the 21st century so far. Players ranked at #1 earned 25 points, second place earned 24 points, and so on. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest individual ranking was placed higher on the list.

📸 Alex Livesey - 2011 Getty Images