- Luca Furnell-Gill was caught punching Man United’s Ethan Wheatley
- Wheatley scored a hat-trick in the second leg, mimicking Rooney’s celebration
- Jurgen Klopp has the eye of the tiger! He hasn’t seemed so confident since 2019. Listen to the It’s all Kicking Off podcast
A Manchester United Academy player imitated Wayne Rooney’s boxing celebration after scoring against Liverpool months later after being attacked by an opponent in the reverse match.
Liverpool defender Luca Furnell-Gill was caught punching and elbowing United’s Ethan Wheatley during the Under-18s Premier League match in January.
Furnell-Gill went unpunished by the referee as the Red Devils claimed a 4-3 win after the clash turned sour.
The two sides went head-to-head again on Saturday with United recording a resounding 9-1 win against their fierce rivals.
Striker Wheatley got on the scoresheet with a hat-trick and celebrated one of his goals in style.
Ethan Wheatley mimicked Wayne Rooney’s boxing celebration after scoring at Liverpool
This is the moment when Luca Furnell-Gill appears to punch Ethan Wheatley in the face
United’s staff were furious at Furnell-GIll’s (pictured) actions during the January game
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The 18-year-old ran to the corner of the pitch and produced Rooney’s drunken celebration that has become iconic over the years.
The England legend celebrated in this way after scoring against Tottenham in 2015, days after being knocked down by a punch from defender Phil Bardsley during an impromptu sparring session.
James Robert Scanlon and Gabriele Biancheri both scored twice, with Ethan Williams and Ashton Missin also getting on the scoresheet in a comfortable victory for United.
Hat-trick hero Wheatley came off the field just before the hour and Furnell-Gill came off the bench for Liverpool at the same time.
However, a repeat of the incident, which enraged United staff at the time, did not take place.
Furnell-Gill has made ten appearances for Liverpool in the U18 Premier League this season.
The English teenager joined Liverpool from Preston North End at U15 level and is from Steeton, Yorkshire.
Wayne Rooney reenacted a video of him boxing a former teammate in 2015
Manchester United went on to record a thumping 9-1 victory to extend their lead at the top
Their 9-1 win sees United continue to dominate the league, having won 17 of their 20 matches.
They have also increased their lead over second-place rivals Manchester City to 13 points.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have dropped to fourth place with 28 points after the defeat to United.
