Wayne Rooney scored his first goal for D.C. United, subsequent to suffering a broken nose as he captained his new club to a 2-1 home win over Colorado Rapids.

Ex-Manchester United and Everton forward Rooney gave his side the lead when he beat former United teammate Tim Howard with a low shot in the 33rd minute.

The 32-year-old was twice denied by Howard after Kellyn Acosta had leveled for the Rapids, however, Niki Jackson’s own goal in the 90th minute proved decisive.

Rooney was left bloodied as he came back to defend a corner in stoppage time, with the Washington Post reporting that he had suffered a broken nose and a gash over his left eye that needed five stitches after a collision with Axel Sjoberg.

It was not the Rapids defender’s last influence on the game, as he went on to inadvertently break Rooney’s nose in injury time when the striker was providing defensive support in his own area. Jackson was pushed by a teammate, resulting in the back of his head-butting Rooney.

The blow to Rooney’s face resulted in a gush of blood pouring from his nose, which it was later confirmed to be broken.

The diagnosis was confirmed in a tweet from D.C.’s official account on Sunday. “I don’t think it’s the first time he has bled. He is a pretty tough guy,” coach Ben Olsen said after the match. “It shows you what this means to him right now. He’s in the box, putting his face on the line, understanding that’s a big moment.”

The Post reported that Rooney’s condition would be assessed to determine whether he will be able to play at Montreal next weekend.

The former Everton forward was bandaged up and sent back on to the pitch but later required five stitches to solve the issue. Rooney did not give blood in vain as DC United held on to win, their first victory in three matches, although they remain bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Rooney later tweeted: “ Delighted to score my first goal for DC United”, adding that he had acquired “a broken nose and five stitches”.