Manchester United youngster Ethan Wheatley had the last laugh on Liverpool’s under-18s when he scored a hat-trick in a 9-1 hammering on Saturday.

A day before United and Liverpool ‘s senior sides meet in the Premier League at Old Trafford, a game which title-chasing Liverpool will be firm favourites for despite their FA Cup defeat at the same venue three weeks ago, the two clubs’ under-18s went head-to-head at Liverpool’s Kirkby Academy.

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Ethan Wheatley mimicked getting knocked out after scoring

Wayne Rooney pulled off the celebration in 2015

The forward threw punches after his goal

And United’s kids ran riot in a stunning 9-1 win which featured a hat-trick for Wheatley, two goals apiece from Gabriele Biancheri and James Scanlon and strikes from Ethan Williams and Ashton Missin.

The goals would have been particularly sweet for Wheatley, who was on the receiving end of a punch and an elbow from Liverpool’s Luca Furnell-Gill when the two sides met at United’s Carrington base earlier this season, a match that the Red Devils – who are 13 points clear at the top of the Under-18s Premier League table – won 4-2.

Furnell-Gill picked up a five-match ban for that incident in January, and he was on the bench for Saturday’s clash as United’s youngsters ran riot.

Wheatley even found time to mimic the January incident by copying Wayne Rooney’s memorable ‘knockout’ celebration when he fired home United’s second goal of the game in the early stages.

A video of Rooney seemingly knocking out former United player Phil Bardsley during a brawl in Rooney’s kitchen went viral in March 2015. A few days later, United’s all-time leading scorer imitated the moment when he threw fists and pretended to be sent off in celebration after a goal against Tottenham.

Speaking about the incident back then, Rooney said: “For me, it wasn’t a big issue. I was in a house with some friends.

“Obviously I was caught on the wrong end of a punch, but I wasn’t knocked out like it was reported. Unfortunately the video stopped there. There has been stick around the place, at United and England training, but you’d expect that. They’re a group of lads.

“I’ve always loved boxing. Unfortunately, sometimes, it didn’t go too well for me! It’s funny, my wife went to pick up my lad from school and saw him doing that (celebration) in the classroom. I’m sure you won’t be seeing that again!”