Wayne Rooney has congratulated his younger brother, John, after he led Macclesfield to FA Cup victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday.
John, five years Wayne’s junior, is in his first managerial job but outfoxed Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace, winning 2-1 after goals from Paul Dawson and Isaac Buckley-Ricketts cancelled out Yeremy Pino’s late consolation.
It is, statistically, the biggest FA Cup upset of all time. Macclesfield and Crystal Palace are separated by 117 places in the football pyramid, the largest ever disparity in an FA Cup victory.
It is also the first time the competition’s holder has been knocked out by a non-league side since Crystal Palace themselves did so in 1909, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Wayne, himself an FA Cup winner as a player, was overcome with emotion at the full-time whistle, shedding a tear as he spoke to BBC Sport.
“I’m actually getting emotional,” he said. “To see my younger brother achieve this, he’s not long been in management.
“To get to the fourth round of the FA Cup and beat a Premier League team in Crystal Palace, I’m so proud of him.
“He looked calm – I don’t know how. It’s such an achievement what he’s done today. Absolutely superb.”
Macclesfield, a phoenix club founded after Macclesfield Town was wound up in 2020, play in the semi-professional National League North.
Manager John, whose playing career saw him run out for the likes of New York Red Bull, Wrexham, Stockport, and Barrow, was similarly emotional after the match.
Joining the BBC Sport broadcast, he was told that Wayne had grown emotional and responded: “I’m the same.
“I still can’t believe it. I can’t get my head round it. I’m lost for words at the moment.
“I thought we were incredible from the first minute. I thought we were deserved winners and I couldn’t be any prouder of the lads.”
