While most US sports fans recognize Wayne Rooney as the former superstar striker of D.C. United, the English-born soccer player has actually had quite a decorated career even before making the move to the United States. Today we're going to take a look at Wayne Rooney's net worth in 2021.

Rooney started his soccer career at a very young age, and it was in Manchester United in England where he established himself as one of the best players in the entire world. That meant one of the biggest salaries as well, and throughout his career, this man has amassed quite a fortune. Let's take a look at just how much Rooney is worth.

Wayne Rooney's net worth in 2021 (estimate): $170 million

Wayne Rooney's net worth in 2021

Celebrity Net Worth estimates Wayne Rooney's value as of 2021 to be $170 million — an amount that he has built up from playing soccer from a young age.

For Rooney, it all started when he joined Everton football club as a nine-year-old back in 1994. He quickly rose up in the ranks, and by the time he was 16, he was already able to make his debut for Everton's senior side.

Rooney burst onto the scene, and became one of the hottest young prospects in the entire world of soccer. By the time he was 18, English giants Manchester United snagged Rooney from Everton for a whopping $32.6 million, which at that time, was the highest transfer fee paid for a teenager.

Rooney absolutely lived up to any and all expectations and quickly established himself as one of the best footballers on the planet. He spent a total of 13 years in Manchester, winning pretty much each and every trophy imaginable. By the end of his run, he set the record as the club's top goalscorer of all time with his 253 goals in all competitions, making him one of the greatest players to have ever dawned the Manchester United shirt. To date, he is also the second-highest goalscorer in the English Premier League.

In soccer, players' wages are determined on a weekly basis. At his prime, Rooney was earning upwards of $300,000 per week at Manchester United. Let that sink in.

Rooney's run with United ended in 2017, when he decided to rejoin his boyhood club, Everton. Rooney had fallen in the pecking order in Manchester, and because he wanted to play more first-team football, he opted to take a pay cut to join Everton.

Rooney ended up playing just one season in Everton, during which he earned roughly $190,000 per week. Quite a pay cut, right?

In 2018, he mad the big move to the United States to join D.C. United of the MLS. Rooney was already 33 at that time, but there was no denying that he was still a top-class player — especially considering the significant variance in the level of competition between Europe and the US. In D.C. United, Rooney's weekly salary was reported to be in the $70,000 region.

Despite signing a three and a half year deal with the Washington-based club, Rooney decided that life in the US was not for him. He opted to jump on an opportunity to return to his native of England when Derby County, a second-tier club in the United Kingdom offered him the role as a player-coach.

Rooney made his move to Derby County official in August of 2019. According to reports, Derby County matched Rooney's weekly salary with D.C. United.

Being one of the biggest names in soccer meant that Rooney also commanded the most profitable endorsement deals throughout his career. His biggest sponsor is sportswear giant Nike, from which he reportedly earns $1.3 million per year.

In 2010, Rooney was involved in an alleged infidelity scandal, which had an adverse effect on his endorsement deals. EA Sports, Harper Collins, and Coca-Cola were some of his biggest endorsement deals at that time. For one, Coca-Cola reportedly cut ties with him because of the allegations, cancelling his $700,000 yearly contract.

Rooney was also able to extend his reach in social media, which as we all know, is another highly-profitable source of income. As of writing, he has no less than 15 million followers on Instagram, another 17 million in Twitter, and 24 million likes on his official Facebook page.

Not much is known about Rooney's investments outside soccer. He is probably the type who keeps his money in the bank, and instead focuses on his soccer career. Then again, maybe he's just really good at keeping his personal dealings low key.

Rooney has also set up his own charitable institution, the Wayne Rooney Foundation, which reportedly aimed to raise over $6 million for various causes back in 2017. Rooney has earned quite a fortune in his illustrious career, and he has given back quite generously at multiple stages throughout his career. Rooney has had a heck of a career that continues to play out today.

Were you surprised by Wayne Rooney's net worth in 2021?