He’d played several exhibitions and even a pair of UEFA Europa League games, but there’s no doubt Wayne Rooney was targeting Saturday’s Premier League opener at Goodison Park as a place to make an Everton impact again.
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Outplayed by Stoke for most of the first half, the home crowd forgot it all deep into the period when Rooney rose high to nod a ball over Jack Butland and give the Toffees an emotional 1-0 lead.
According to Opta, Rooney set a record for longest span between goals for a single club at 4,968 days. It’s his 199th Premier League goal.