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Analysis
- 38 minutes ago
Rooney not a fan of The United Strand: 'He's doing my head in!'
Martin Macdonald
- 11 Feb 2026 07:15 CST
- 9 min read
Nieuws
It seems Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney is not a fan of 'The United Strand'.
In October of 2024, die-hard Red Devils supporter Frank Ilett came up with the idea to not cut his hair until Man Utd won five matches in a row as they hadn't done so since the previous February.
At the time the joke was conceived, Man Utd were 14th in the Premier League, having endured a poor start to the season under Erik ten Hag.
Fast forward 18 months and United have sacked Ruben Amorim and appointed Michael Carrick until the end of the season.
Carrick has overseen a superb run of form which includes victories against Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham and Tottenham. United were going for their fifth in a row against West Ham on Tuesday but could only manage a 1-1 draw.
That means Ilett's wager will run on for a little while longer.
🗣️ "He's doing my head in!" 🤣
Safe to say Wayne Rooney won't be cutting The United Strand's hair if #MUFC win tonight. 👀#NoTippyTappyFootball | @BOYLESports pic.twitter.com/hvwQmHAOLB— No Tippy Tappy Football (@NoTippyTappyPod) February 10, 2026
Rooney, though, is perturbed that there has been so much talk about this fan amid a very positive period at Old Trafford.
On Sam Allardyce's 'No Tippy Tappy Football' podcast, Rooney was asked if he would cut Ilett's hair.
He responded: “I'd put him to the other side of the country, he's doing my head in.
“We're talking about Carrick and United trying to win their fifth game in a row and the whole thing is about this guy getting his haircut.
"I bet he’d be devastated if United win the fifth game because all of a sudden he's irrelevant.”
It has been nearly 500 days since he started growing his hair.
He went viral two seasons ago and soon became internet-famous with a million followers on Instagram. He updates his followers every day with his journey.
Back in March of 2025, he told BBC Radio Manchester: "I'm really hoping it's done by the end of the season or else it's going to be a very hot summer.
"Sadly I reckon it's going to be next season now, I think. I've looked at the remaining fixtures and I don't see a run of five that's winnable.
"It has been very difficult.
"But I want to do the hair cut at Old Trafford, or at least somewhere nearby.
"Either way, there's plenty of time to plan it!"
He was right, it did go into next season.
As Man Utd lost and drew more matches, some actually forgot about the challenge, but he is back in the headlines again.
"Carrick is at the wheel, this hair is going soon, West Ham next, four out of five done - this is the first time it's been four in a row since I started the challenge," he said before the draw on Tuesday.
"This time it's happening! Thank you so much to Carrick - thank you, thank you, thank you. There will be a watch-along for the fifth game against West Ham. Some exciting plans coming up - more details to come."
When asked about Ilett, who calls himself 'The United Strand', former Man Utd star Nani responded by saying that United legend Sir David Beckham should be the one to cut Frank's hair.
"I think after he cuts his hair then everything will change and we will look forward. I think he’d like a legend to cut his hair and I think David Beckham should do it, he’s had plenty of practice. He'd be perfect!"
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