New York Jets star Olu Fashanu on his love for football and Wayne Rooney

"The NFL has been playing regular games in London for 18 years, meaning a generation of gridiron stars have now grown up used to the idea of suiting up at English football's iconic stadiums. Since 2018, Wembley and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have shared London's International Series games, with the Minnesota Vikings taking on the Cleveland Browns before the Denver Broncos and New York Jets lock horns at the home of Spurs, with the LA Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars doing battle under the arch."

"I'm from the DC, Maryland, Virginia area, so went to DC United games growing up, offensive tackle Fashanu tells FourFourTwo. I don't know the first, but one of the earliest would be when Wayne Rooney was on DC United. My plan for the last off-season was to go to a game at Old Trafford, but I spent most of it rehabbing an injury. Hopefully after this season, if I have time, I'd love to be there in person to see an actual Manchester United game."

"Rooney, he replies. Just to see him in person was surreal. When I was younger, I wasn't as big a fan as now. I was just growing up watching games with my dad, but as a kid watching Manchester United, it was a regular occurrence to see him on the scoresheet. Growing up and seeing him score all these crazy goals naturally made him a childhood hero of mine."

The NFL has staged regular London games for 18 years, familiarising players with major English football venues. Since 2018, Wembley and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium have alternated hosting International Series fixtures, including matchups such as Minnesota Vikings v Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos v New York Jets, and Los Angeles Rams v Jacksonville Jaguars. New York Jets offensive tackle Olu Fashanu grew up in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area attending DC United matches and remembers Wayne Rooney playing for DC United. Fashanu describes seeing Rooney in person as surreal, names Rooney as a childhood hero, and aims to visit Old Trafford after recovering from injury.

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