MANCHESTER United legend Wayne Rooney is a secret war history geek.
The ex-England striker, 38, who loved a battle on the pitch, was said to be “obsessed” with the 26-part documentary The World at War.
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Released in 1973, and narrated by the late actor Laurence Olivier, the epic series recounts — in great detail — the events of the Second World War.
When Rooney visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland with the England squad ahead of Euro 2012, he was said to have asked the most knowledgeable questions.
The fascinating insight into Rooney’s interests was revealed by football writer Henry Winter.
Recalling the Auschwitz trip, he said: “Nothing prepares you for the evil inside.
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“It’s vital to go, to learn, to pay your respects, to never forget.
“It was important when Wayne Rooney and some of the England players left their Euro 2012 base in nearby Krakow to visit.
“Footballers should step out of their bubble.
“Rooney asked the most perceptive questions of our guide, including how could the camp director step outside the gates and lead a normal family life having inflicted such horrors.”
Winter said he asked Rooney on the bus back how he knew so much and was told “he was obsessed” with The World at War.
He told The Spectator mag: “There’s invariably more hinterland to footballers than perceived.”
