Rooney at 40 - a talent we never truly valued?

As boy wonder Wayne Rooney celebrates his 40th birthday, long-serving agent Paul Stretford is beyond proud of the way the “underappreciated” star has overcome his demons to become the self-assured man he is today.

- SIMON PEACH

The forward’s jaw-dropping entrance with Everton will feel like five minutes ago to some, but Manchester United's all-time top scorer and England's most capped outfield men’s player enters his forties on Friday.

Stretford knows Rooney as well as anyone, having worked with him throughout the journey from teenage talent to global figure, experiencing the highs and lows of a career in the spotlight along with the anger and mental-health issues the striker dealt with in the background.

"Look back to that day he signed his first major professional contract with Everton and his introduction to the world and the media," agent Stretford said.

"Then see the person that stands there now, who is aware of his place in the world and he’s self-assured of what that place is.

"I don’t think too many people gave much chance of that being the case all of those years ago.

“He’s faced demons, he’s faced challenges, but each and every step along the way, whenever they've come along, he’s faced them full on and dealt with them and come out the other side.”