You'd like to think Wayne Rooney would be a little more grounded considering he has been the highest-paid player in the Premier League over the last few seasons, but that hasn't stopped the Manchester United striker going off the rails at times. Rooney has been at the heart of a series of petulant incidents, and has often created negative headlines for his attitude. Following England's dismal draw with Algeria at the 2010 World Cup, the England forward rounded on a television camera and bellowed "nice to see your own fans booing you, you football 'supporters'" as jeers rained down from the terraces. It was a pathetic thing to say and his failure to realise that fans who paid thousands of pounds to travel to the tournament in South Africa have a right to voice their displeasure upon watching overpaid flops blunder through a game speaks volumes about his maturity. There have been other incidents. He is persistently moaning and shouting at referees when things aren't going his way and refused to play in Sir Alex Ferguson's final game in charge of the club in May last year after getting into a huff with the Scotsman, whinging that he felt "angry and confused" by his position at Old Trafford. Twice now he has attempted to quit the club, citing United's alleged lack of ambitions as a reason for wanting to walk out in 2010, while he brazenly flirted with Chelsea a year ago only to end up staying at the Theatre of Dreams - but only after the club made him the highest earner in the division.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
