By Ghazali Ibrahim
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has taken a swipe at Frank Ilett, a viral United supporter whose long-running haircut vow has become a major talking point amid the club’s recent resurgence.
Speaking during a discussion about United’s push to secure a fifth consecutive win, Rooney made it clear he was unimpressed by the attention surrounding the fan, joking that he would send him “to the other side of the country.”
“I’d put him to the other side of the country, he’s doing my head in,” Rooney said.
The former England captain expressed disatisfaction that the narrative around United’s form had been overshadowed by the fan’s personal challenge, rather than the team’s performances under the interim manager Michael Carrick.
“We’re talking about Carrick and United trying to win their fifth game in a row and the whole thing is about this guy getting his haircut,” Rooney added.
Rooney also suggested that the supporter, whose vow to cut his hair only after United string together five straight wins has gone viral, might not be entirely pleased if the club actually achieves the feat.
“I bet he’d be devastated if United win the fifth game because all of a sudden he’s irrelevant,” he said.
The fan’s haircut pledge has attracted widespread attention on social media, becoming an unlikely subplot to United’s recent run of form, even as club legends like Rooney urge the focus to return to football matters on the pitch.
Meanwhile the challenge is still on as his hope dashed by the recent draw against West Ham on Tuesday, 10 January, 2026.
