13 August 2017 1 Min Read

Everton 1-0 Stoke: Wayne Rooney completes fairytale return to Goodison Park as he heads the winner for boyhood club to earn opening-day victory

by Maureen Waruinge Michezo
wayne rooney opening score

The bright new era at Goodison Park had a sluggish opening 45 minutes. Then, just as the tannoy announcer reported 'One extra minute', Sandro Ramirez fed Daniel Calvert-Lewin, whose cross was met with a terrific jump and header from Wayne Rooney. Cue bedlam.

Rooney never going to be denied the headlines on a first Premier League appearance for his boyhood club for 13 years. After all, he's been writing his own scripts since he announced himself to the world on the same ground with a goal against Arsenal aged 16.

Stoke manager Mark Hughes didn't even bother to namecheck him in describing the winner. 'You know who was always going to be part of the story and that's how it panned out,' he grimaced.

 Wayne Rooney completed his return to Goodison Park with a sensational header to beat Stoke 1-0 in their opening game
 The Toffees forward ghosted into the box after pushing away Joe Allen before Dominic Calvert-Lewin floated the ball in
 His header sailed beyond Jack Butland in the Stoke goal as he registered his first goal for Everton since leaving in 2004
 Rooney sprints to the adoring fans as team-mates Daby Klaassen and Idrissa Gueye celebrate with the returning hero

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS AND LEAGUE TABLE

Everton (3-5-2): Pickford 6.5; Keane 7, Jagielka 7, Williams 5.5 (Martina 45 6); Calvert-Lewin 6.5, Schneiderlin 7 Gueye 7.5, Klaasen 6 (Davies 60 6), Baines 6; Rooney 7, Ramirez 6.5 (Mirallas 77 6)

Subs unused: Stekelenburg, Besic, Holgate, Lookman

Goal: Rooney 45

Booked: Martina

Stoke City (3-4-3): Butland 7; Cameron 7, Shawcross 6.5, Zouma 7; Diouf 6.5, Fletcher 6, Allen 6, Pieters 6.5; Shaqiri 6, Berahino 6 (Chouplo-Moting 72 6.5), Bojan 5.5 (Crouch 72 6)

Subs unused: Grant, Johnson, Tymon, Adam, Sobhi

Booked: Allen

Referee: Neil Swarbrick 7

Attendance: 39,045

Season at glance

  • Team P GD Pts
    1 Huddersfield Town 1 3 3
    2 Manchester City 1 2 3
    3 Arsenal 1 1 3
    4 Burnley 1 1 3
    5 Everton 1 1 3
    6 West Bromwich Albion 1 1 3
    7 Liverpool 1 0 1
    8 Watford 1 0 1
    9 Southampton 1 0 1
    10 Swansea City 1 0 1
    11 Manchester United 0 0 0
    12 Newcastle United 0 0 0
    13 Tottenham Hotspur 0 0 0
    14 West Ham United 0 0 0
    15 Leicester City 1 -1 0
    16 Chelsea 1 -1 0
    17 Bournemouth 1 -1 0
    18 Stoke City 1 -1 0
    19 Brighton and Hove Albion 1 -2 0
    20 Crystal Palace 1 -3 0

Wayne Rooney's stunning goal on return

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