Wayne Rooney has hit out at a Manchester United fan, Frank Ilett, aka “The United Strand,” whose dramatic decision to allow his hair grow out until the club wins five matches in a row has overshadowed the team’s impressive run, branding the attention “doing my head in” and urging focus back on the pitch.

The former United striker expressed his irritation while speaking with the NoTippyTappyPod. While the club pushed for a fifth consecutive victory under Michael Carrick, online chatter has fixated on the fan’s hair, how long he has kept it, and the surrounding hype.

“I’d put him to the other side of the country, he’s doing my head in,” Rooney said. “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.”

Rooney, who won five Premier League titles and a Champions League during his 13-year spell at Old Trafford, stressed the need to prioritise football over social media stunts. “We’ve got a team building something special right now—momentum, confidence, results—and people are more interested in a haircut than the actual football,” he added. “It’s frustrating when the narrative gets hijacked like this.”

N.B.: Rooney’s comment was before the game. Man United failed to get a win against West Ham United to complete the 5 matches winning run. It ended 1-1 on Tuesday night and The United Strand is yet to reveal what his next action would be.