MANCHESTER United legend Wayne Rooney is a sеcrеt wаr history geek.

The ex-England striker, 38, who loved a bаttle on the pitch, was said to be “obsessed” with the 26-part documentary The World at Wаr.

The World at Wаr, a classic 1973 documentary about World Wаr II, has captivated Wayne Rooney, who is a closet history nerd.Source: Getty

The epic series, which was released in 1973 and narrated by the late Laurence Olivier, chronicles the events of the Second World Wаr in painstaking detail.

Rumоr has it that Rooney asked the most insightful questions of any English player on their tour of the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland in preparation for Euro 2012.

Henry Winter, a football writer, uncovered the intriguing insight into Rooney’s interests.

He remarked, “Nothing prepares you for the evil inside” when asked about his experience at Auschwitz.You must go, educate yourself, pay your respects, and keep this memory alive.

When Wayne Rooney and a few other English players departed from their camp in neighboring Krakow to pay a visit, it was a big deal.

Footballers need to take a break from their comfort zones.

“How could the camp director leave the grounds and carry on a normal family life after inflicting such horrors?” was one of the incisive questions that Rooney asked our guide.On the way back, Winter questioned Rooney about his extensive knowledge and was informed that “he was obsessed” with The World at Wаr.

Footballers, he said to The Spectator magazine, “invariably have more hinterland than perceived.””