Influencer AngryGinge has revealed he still has to pinch himself that he is friends with Wayne Rooney. The I'm A Celebrity winner, whose real name is Morgan Burtwistle, spoke to the Liverpool ECHO in an exclusive interview about his bond with the Premier League legend.
The two struck up a friendship over online gaming, but this has transitioned into the real world as Ginge told the ECHO how he has been to the former Everton striker's home. Rooney grew up in Croxteth and Ginge, who is from Salford, said the two connected through their similar perspectives.
A friendship built on banter
The 24-year-old said: "It's our banter and the fact we're from similar working class backgrounds. I was playing padel with him the other day. Whilst we were on the courts, in my head, I was like, 'I'm playing padel with Wayne Rooney. It's never settled in and I don't think it ever will."
The streamer spoke to the ECHO after he returned home to the UK from Madrid after a once-in-a-lifetime football experience arranged in partnership with Adobe. Ginge took his Sunday league team, Winston Yanited, over to the Spanish capital where they filmed content with football icon, Roberto Carlos.
A summer of unforgettable experiences
The trip comes after a busy summer which also saw Ginge follow England around the World Cup in North America. He has come a long way since he started streaming himself playing video games and he said it's important he doesn't take experiences like this for granted.
He said: "It's good to never take things for granted. The trips and opportunities that Adobe have provided for me and the boys have been unbelievable. And it was an unreal experience that we will all take to our graves. It was magical."
Pride in his roots
Ginge comes from a working class background and is proud of how far he is come as he said: "The thing I'm most proud of is giving people from similar backgrounds to me belief and hopefully inspiration that it doesn't matter how you start, it's how you finish."
"It doesn't matter what start line you've been given, anything is achievable. It's down to you and only you that's going to be able to make that happen."
Reflecting on I'm A Celebrity
The pinnacle of his career so far was winning I'm A Celebrity last year, but he is relieved the jungle experience is behind him. He said: "I thought it was awful. It was extremely tough.
"The best day was when I got out. But it was an experience of a lifetime. The friends that I've made. I still speak to Ruby [Wax], Lisa [Riley], Aitch, Jack [Osbourne] a lot. I'm very happy I did it, but if you asked me to do it again, I'd probably say no."
A memorable visit to Liverpool
Ginge is renowned as a fan of Manchester United, but his last trip to Liverpool earlier this year was different from his previous journeys as he came to the M&S Bank Arena with the Baller League. Speaking about his experience here, he said: "I didn't enjoy it because we lost 8 - 1. KSI battered us that night. However, I thought the surroundings were really nice."
Ginge is looking forward to the future as he shared his plans for the next chapter. He said: "Hopefully some more shows. We'll see what happens. Hopefully I can get on something I can enjoy.
"Maybe host one or two. Upgrade my own content and my YouTube. I've neglected it for the past five years so it would be good to crack down and make some motion in the ocean."
Adobe teamed up with AngryGinge to take his Sunday League team, Winton Yanited, on a once-in-a-lifetime football experience. The team took part in a dedicated training session at Real Madrid’s world-class facilities and met club legend Roberto Carlos. Throughout the trip, AngryGinge and his team used Adobe Firefly to capture ideas, create content and bring creative concepts to life, showcasing how creators can utilise Firefly wherever inspiration strike.
