Wayne Rooney has taken aim at viral Manchester United fan known as TheUnitedStrand following the club’s 1-1 draw against West Ham on Tuesday morning.
The supporter, whose real name is Frank Ilett, has vowed not to cut his hair until United win five consecutive matches — a streak he has been waiting on since 2024. Heading into the West Ham clash, he had gone nearly 500 days without a haircut, hoping United would secure a fifth straight Premier League victory under interim manager Michael Carrick.
However, the run came to a halt at the London Stadium.
United struggled to truly test West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen in the first half, and the hosts took the lead shortly after the break through Tomas Soucek’s 49th-minute strike.
The Red Devils salvaged a point deep into stoppage time when Benjamin Sesko volleyed home an equaliser in the 96th minute. But with only two minutes remaining, they were unable to find a winner — meaning Ilett’s long wait for a haircut continues.
TheUnitedStrand streamed the match live on streaming platform Kick, attracting more than 300,000 viewers at its peak around full-time as fans tuned in to see whether his challenge would finally come to an end.
Carrick was even asked about the viral fan during his pre-match press conference. He acknowledged that his children had mentioned the trend to him but insisted it would not feature in his team talk.
Rooney, however, was far less amused.
Speaking on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast, co-hosted by Sam Allardyce and Natalie Pike, the former United captain criticised the stunt before the West Ham fixture.
“I’d put him to the other side of the country. He’s doing my head in,” Rooney said.
“We’re talking about Michael Carrick and Man United trying to win their fifth game in a row, and the whole thing is about to get this guy his hair cut.
“I bet he’d be devastated if Man United win the fifth game, because all of a sudden he’s irrelevant.”
With the draw against West Ham, United’s unbeaten run continues — but the five-game winning streak, and TheUnitedStrand’s long-overdue haircut, will have to wait a little longer.
