Wayne Rooney was a magnificent footballer for so many years.

In the present day, the Manchester United legend's career is downplayed a tad, as many younger football fans just don't realise just how good he was in his pomp.

There was nothing Rooney couldn't do. Physically, he was more than quick enough to scare defenders, was strong as an ox and would never stop running for the entirety of the 90 minutes.

And in terms of pure footballing ability, few players in the world could rival Rooney.

England's record goalscorer was an elite-level striker and a world-class playmaker rolled into one, which made him an absolute nightmare to come up against.

Rooney was also blessed with an incredible first touch, which is highlighted perfectly in fan footage of him warming up at Old Trafford.

Rooney warming up at Old Trafford

The video - which has accrued over four million views on YouTube - was initially meant to be solely focused on his passing, but the current Derby County manager's pristine control also came to the fore.

Check out the brilliant footage here...

Video: Rooney's exquisite passing and first touch in Man Utd warm-up

Some of those touches from Rooney are just magical. The one right at the end is the best of the bunch and we could watch it on repeat for quite some time.

The footage above really is a timely reminder of the quality possessed by the man rightly labelled a 'generational talent' and United have never come close to replacing him in the years since his departure.

Finding a player to fill Rooney's boots was never going to be easy, though.

Rooney with the PL trophy

The former Everton forward finished his United career in 2017 with an astonishing 253 goals and 146 assists to his name, to go with an enormous collection of masterclasses in the famous red jersey.

Rooney is also one of only three players - the other two being Ryan Giggs and Frank Lampard - to register 100+ goals and 100+ assists in Premier League action.

A true all-time great and he's also beginning to look like he may go on to have a hugely successful career in management as well.

Football mascots quiz: Can you name the weird and wonderful characters at British clubs?