USMNT midfielder Christian Pulisic will be a central figure in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins on Thursday. Without question, this is the chance of a lifetime for him to cement his place amongst the best of the best.
As the world comes to North America, more will get a chance to get to know him. What makes him tick? What is he like off the pitch? Where did his love for soccer come from?
The latter question was pertinent when he was asked about who his favorite player was growing up, per DJ Siddiqi of Action Network. He cited controversial English player Wayne Rooney as his greatest inspiration.
“I had a lot of favorite players, but I was a big fan of Wayne Rooney, just because I liked the fight that he had on the field,” he said.
Furthermore, Pulisic admired Rooney’s ability to score.
“I love his willingness to go try to score goals and do all the different things on the field. I just love the way he played.”
Undoubtedly, Rooney is one of the most consequential footballers to come from England. He played for two decades with Everton, Manchester United, D.C. United, and Derby County. At 17 years old, he became the youngest professional player in England. He scored 366 goals in 891 professional games.
At the same time, Rooney is also one of the most controversial figures. Over the years, he has been riddled with scandal. Among those are visits to brothels, affairs, leaked images of him with young women at a night out, and drunk driving.
Recently, there were rumblings that Rooney was pursuing a career in boxing.
Meanwhile, Pulisic and the USMNT will begin the World Cup on Friday against Senegal.
The post Christian Pulisic’s favorite player growing up was controversial England icon appeared first on ClutchPoints.
