With the upcoming European Championships marking the 20th anniversary of EURO 2004, it's no surprise that there is plenty of talk of Wayne Rooney's legendary tournament for England two decades ago in Portugal.
Already a teenage sensation with Everton, Rooney's four-goal performance at the EUROs cemented his position as Europe's most exciting young talent.
To celebrate his performance, the BBC have released a 20th-anniversary documentary, World at his Feet, as well as a sit-down interview with the player himself.
One story which showcased the mentality of a young Rooney saw him explain that he was uninterested in swapping shirts with any of the superstars he came up against, including French duo Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
However, a development in that story involving a legend of Andorran football has garnered a heartwarming response from the player in question.
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Andorra veteran shares brilliant Wayne Rooney shirt swap story
Following on from his remark about disinterest in the legends of football he faced, Wayne Rooney said he took the opposite approach if an opposition player ever asked him for a shirt swap.
Rooney said that he felt it was the right thing to show respect to any player who asked him to swap shirts, and revealed he still to this day has the shirt of an Andorra player he swapped with later in his career.
I'd always respected any player who came up and asked for my shirt - even to the point where we were playing Andorra and I remember one of the players came up and asked for my shirt. I gave him my shirt and he gave me his. I've seen players where they just throw it into the kit and they're not interested. I'd always show respect to him and take it home and keep the shirt.
The player in question, Ildefons Lima, has now come forward to share a photo of the pair swapping shirts after a World Cup qualifier in September 2008.
Great news, @WayneRooney still owns my shirt 😂😂🏴⚽️🙌🏻 #andorra #rooney #matchwornshirt #respect https://t.co/DnXHqf5mLe pic.twitter.com/6ldmKJDIX9
— Ildefons Lima Solà 🇦🇩 (@ildelima6) June 12, 2024
The 44-year-old went on to share a photo of Rooney's jersey in his enormous personal collection of swapped jerseys.
In my collection 😉 pic.twitter.com/SOJ1Gg4PVH
— Ildefons Lima Solà 🇦🇩 (@ildelima6) June 12, 2024
Lima is a legend of Andorran football - and of international football in general, having had the longest international career in history. He made his debut in 1997 and won a remarkable 137 caps over a 26-year-long career for his national team.
He is part of an exclusive club of players to have played against both Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland (in 2010) and Stephen Kenny's Ireland (in 2021).
7 September 2010; Ildefons Lima, Andorra, reacts after an alledged handball. EURO 2012 Championship Qualifier - Group B, Republic of Ireland v Andorra, Aviva Stadium, Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / SPORTSFILE
We are unsure if there are any other members of said group.
The onus is now on Wayne Rooney to find Ildefons Lima's jersey in his collection to back up his claim.
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