Rooney: I see myself scoring goals the night before a game

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The Old Trafford star admits he visualises every aspect of a match ahead of time, while citing former Liverpool and Fulham striker Jari Litmanen as one of his idols

 Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney claims he visualises scoring goals the night before each game.

 And, as a child prodigy, breaking into the Everton side at just 16, the England striker claims he has visualised scoring goals ever since he was a child.
"Part of my preparation is I go and ask the kit man what colour we're wearing - if it's red top, white shorts, white socks or black socks," Rooney told ESPN.
"Then I lie in bed the night before the game and visualize myself scoring goals or doing well. You're trying to put yourself in that moment and trying to prepare yourself, to have a 'memory' before the game.”
“I don't know if you'd call it visualizing or dreaming, but I've always done it, my whole life."
“When I was younger, I used to visualize myself scoring wonder goals, stuff like that. From 30 yards out, dribbling through teams.
“You used to visualize yourself doing all that, and obviously when you get older and you're playing professionally, you realize it's important for your preparation - and you need to visualize realistic things that are going to happen in a game.
“I suppose it's like when you play snooker, you're always thinking three or four shots down the line. I suppose with football, it's like that.
“You've got to think three or four passes where the ball is going to come to down the line. And I think the very best footballers; they're able to see that before ... Much quicker than a lot of other footballers.”
Rooney also admitted that former Liverpool forward Jari Litmanen was an idol of his when he was growing up.
The 41-year-old did not enjoy much success at Anfield, but has played at the likes of Barcelona and Ajax during a 25-year professional career.
"I used to watch Jari Litmanen a lot, I enjoyed how he moved and got into space. And he was patient. If you looked at him, he always never looked like he was rushed doing anything,” Rooney added.
“He always used to take his time. Then, when the opportunity came, he found the space to get the ball in the net. The more you do it, the more it works. You need to know where everyone is on the pitch. You need to see everything."
"What people don't realize is that it's obviously a physical game, but after the game, mentally, you're tired as well, your mind has been through so much.
“There are so many decisions you have to make through your head. And then you're trying to calculate other people's decisions as well. It's probably more mentally tiring than physically, to be honest."