Tonight Wayne Rooney is being honoured by Manchester United for his years of service with a testimonial match.
The United skipper has been thundering up and down the Old Trafford pitch for 12 long years now, since joining as a fresh-faced 18-year-old from Everton after starring at Euro 2004 for England.
You can even watch the game completely free on Facebook – the first time ever a game between two Premier League sides has been broadcast live on Facebook.
The game at Old Trafford on Wednesday night will also mark Jose Mourinho’s first home game as new United boss.
Rooney’s testimonial match will be available to watch for free for fans on both the striker’s and Manchester United’s official Facebook pages which boast 100m likes between them.
But the whole lark got us thinking about testimonials: weird friendlies, originally invented to allow a long-serving player to earn some much-needed cash with which to go off and buy a pub or a sweetshop for retirement.
These days of course, the multi-millionaire players don’t so much need the cash, but the games on on regardless, and usually throw up plenty of oddities.
Mark Noble’s earlier this year was a case in point. It was the game that had everything.
An end-to-end goal from West Ham goalkeeper Adrian, a penalty shoot-out despite the match not ending in a draw, and, of course, Dean Ashton reminding us of his talent with a stunning acrobatic volley.
Ashton’s goal was one of the best we’ve seen on this sort of stage, but we haven’t been to every single testimonial. Not by a long stretch.
So with that in mind, we decided to ask you, the JOE readers, for your favourite testimonial moments.
After @Dean36ashton10 's wondergoal yesterday, we want to know your favourite ever testimonial moments. Goals, tackles, saves, misses etc.
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) March 29, 2016
1. The response was huge, from goals…
@JOE_co_uk @Dean36ashton10 @tomvictor Ryan Giggs scoring for Bournemouth after 2 minutes of Russell Beardsmore's testimonial v Southampton.
— Chris Lines (@NarrowTheAngle) March 29, 2016
2. …to own goals.
https://twitter.com/One_SmallPerson/status/714784241607946241
3. …and celebrations.
https://twitter.com/CJD1878/status/714807987643269120
@JOE_co_uk Tony Hibbert's goal and pitch invasion. pic.twitter.com/nVy1qTuC4y
— keith (@keith1878) March 29, 2016
4. There were goal-saving ‘tackles’.
5. Testimonials offer us the chance to see players in unfamiliar colours.
@JOE_co_uk Gazza turning out for Arsenal in Mersons testimonial pic.twitter.com/cOd9rs3Y6F
— Football Shirt Collective (@thefootballsc) March 29, 2016
6. While those often thought to be ‘not that sort of player’ can be tempted to show another side to their game.
@JOE_co_uk Howard Webb being tackled off the ball by @LewisHoltby – @LedleyKing testimonial worth the entrance fee.. pic.twitter.com/TtZn8BWJnY
— • ᴅᴀᴠɪᴅ ᴇʟʟɪs • (@fullback03) March 29, 2016
7. We’ve had goal of the game competitions.
@JOE_co_uk @Dean36ashton10 John Collins and Martin Scott at Ian murrays testimonial https://t.co/CeZICCByhJ
— Dylan Tillbrook (@DTillbrook) March 29, 2016
8. And Paul Scholes being Paul Scholes.
@JOE_co_uk @Dean36ashton10 Paul Scholes' testimonial. Scores a vintage 25 yard screamer 10 mins in. Crowd was rocking. Fitting send off.
— Jack Smith (@jacksmith_555) March 29, 2016
9. But honestly, can anyone beat this from Steve Watson? We don’t think so.
@JOE_co_uk @tomvictor From Peter Beardsley's testimonial.https://t.co/QcruQNKHpR
— Jonny Sharples (@JonnyGabriel) March 29, 2016
