English Premiership
Rooney happy at United
2009-11-13 11:14
Happy at Old Trafford (File)
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Doha - Wayne Rooney has dismissed speculation that he could be tempted to move to Spain by insisting that he would happily finish his career at Manchester United.
Barcelona were reported last week to be planning an 85 million pound bid to lure the England striker to the Nou Camp while his former team-mate, Cristiano Ronaldo, has said he would love to see Rooney playing alongside him at Real Madrid.
But Rooney, preparing for England's friendly against Brazil on Saturday, revealed that he expects to shortly begin talking to United about extending his contract beyond 2012, when his current deal is due to expire.
"It is nice to get noticed but I have said before I am really happy at United," the 24-year-old said. "Unless they tell me otherwise, I can't really see myself leaving.
"Obviously I've got two years left after this year (season), so I'm sure over the next few months we will be negotiating a new deal."
Asked if he was contemplating finishing his career at Old Trafford, Rooney responded with an emphatic 'yes', before underlining the importance he attaches to being close to his roots in nearby Liverpool.
"I love the place," Rooney said. "It is 30 minutes from home and all my family and I have got a great chance of winning trophies.
"It is a massive club. Growing up, although I was an Everton fan, I used to love watching United play, the way they played and attacked, always right to the end and scoring so many late goals.
"Now to be there and winning trophies, I don't think I will be going anywhere soon."
The hunger of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has also contributed to Rooney's love affair with the club, and the striker understands why the Scot, who received a four-match touchline ban on Thursday, is capable of getting so worked up over perceived injustices at the hands of referees.
"Still now at his age he wants to win all the time and it is incredible to see," Rooney said.
Rooney himself was given a disciplinary rap on the knuckles after he mouthed "12 men" into a television camera in the wake of United's controversial 1-0 defeat by Chelsea on Sunday.
On reflection he accepts that the implied suggestion that referee Martin Atkinson had favoured Chelsea was unwise.
"I felt we deserved more out of the game and obviously at the end emotions were high. But when I look back, probably I should not have said it.
"I felt we did not get the decisions but that is the way it goes. There are games when we have got them when we shouldn't have."