- Manchester United announce Wayne Rooney's new contract
- The striker has penned a new four-year extension at Old Trafford, keeping him at the club until June 2019 worth £300,000-a-week
- The 28-year-old's signing represents a huge victory for boss David Moyes
- England man 'to become a club ambassador' for United when he retires
- Rooney: 'The fact Mata came shows we have no trouble attracting players'
- Possibility of no Champions League football 'not a concern' for a Rooney
- Moyes: 'This football club was never selling Wayne Rooney. Never.'
Wayne Rooney thanked David Moyes on Friday night for salvaging his Manchester United career after signing a new five-and-a-half year deal at Old Trafford worth £300,000-a-week.
Rooney told United he wanted to leave last summer following a spectacular fall-out with Sir Alex Ferguson, and the Barclays Premier League champions were forced to fight off bids of up to £30million from Chelsea.
Confirmed: Rooney confirmed the news on his Facebook page and said he was 'very happy'
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Confirmed: Rooney confirmed the news on his Facebook page and said he was 'very happy'
Sorted: Rooney (centre) with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward and manager David Moyes
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Sorted: Rooney (centre) with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward and manager David Moyes
Moyes revealed on Friday how he persuaded the England striker to stay at Old Trafford during a secret meeting in June by challenging Rooney to prove that he has not ‘gone a bit soft’.
ROONEY'S NEW BUMPER DEAL
- £15,600,000 a year
- £300,000 a week
- £43,000 a day
- £1,800 an hour
- £30 a minute
- 50p a second
And Rooney paid tribute to his old Everton boss after signing a new deal until June 2019 that makes him the highest-paid player in English football.
He said: ‘There was a lot of speculation in the summer but I was pleased when David Moyes came in to the club.
‘I’ve got a great relationship with him and he’s shown a lot of trust and faith in me. Talks have been ongoing for a long time – I’m delighted to be signed up now.
‘This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and to know that I will be playing here for the majority of my career is something that I’m looking forward to. I’m happy that everything is now finalised and I can carry on concentrating on my football.
The man: Rooney's deal will run out in 2019, but he will become a club ambassador when he retires
All smiles: Wayne Rooney has signed a new £300,000-a-week at Manchester United
‘I’ve been here since I was 18 and this contract will take me through to my thirties, which is almost my entire professional career. I’ve played most of my best football here and am looking forward to hopefully playing even better football in the next few years.’
Rooney insisted that the possibility of United missing out on Champions League football next season did not deter him from committing the rest of his top-flight career to the club, instead pointing to the £37million signing of Juan Mata as proof of better times ahead at Old Trafford.
‘It’s not a massive concern for me,’ he added. ‘This is because I know the direction that this club is going in, and if we don’t make it this season then we will come back stronger and claim a Champions League spot next season.
‘The future is bright for Manchester United. This is still one of the world's leading clubs, and we have seen this with the signing of Juan Mata.
‘People have been saying that we may have trouble attracting the world’s best players but I think the fact Mata came here shows this isn’t true.
Tell-tale: Rooney referenced the capture of Mata as proof that United can still sign the best players
‘This is a new era for the club. We have a new management team and a great new manager in David Moyes – there has to be some time for change.
‘We have some great players here and despite our recent form everyone has stuck together and the team spirit is still good. We will continue to work hard and get Manchester United to the top where it belongs.’
Persuading Rooney to stay represents Moyes’s greatest victory as United manager so far. On Wednesday night he insisted that the club were always in control of the situation despite the speculation surrounding Rooney’s future last summer.
‘As far as I was concerned it was never in doubt,’ said Moyes. ‘The way I looked at it, this football club was never selling Wayne Rooney. Never.
‘The one thing I’ve found about Manchester United is that they decide what players go when they want them to go.
‘The players won’t control that no matter who comes to the club. The club will always be in control of that.’
The new deal is also expected to mean that Rooney succeeds Nemanja Vidic as captain next season, although Moyes said that the decision will not be made until the summer.
He revealed that he met Rooney in secret on two occasions before starting his new job last July after the striker had been frozen out by Ferguson.
Thumbs up! The deal is thought to be for five-and-a-half years, representing a massive win for David Moyes
Improvement: Rooney has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season, and has improved in all areas
UNITED ALL-TIME TOP SCORERS
1. Sir Bobby Charlton (1953-73) - 249 goals in 758 appearances
2: Denis Law (1962-73) - 237 goals in 404 appearances
3: Jack Rowley (1937-55) - 211 goals in 424 appearances
4: Wayne Rooney (2004 - present) - 208 goals in 430 appearances
5: George Best (1963-74) - 179 goals in 470 appearances
Moyes added: ‘I said to Wayne that I wanted him to stay before I’d actually come in here. I’d met Wayne privately a couple of times to talk about his situation, to try to understand.
‘He came up to my house and I said to him, “if you ask me what’s missing I think you’ve gone a bit soft”. I thought he hadn’t been the hard-working, aggressive player he was. I needed to try to get him back to that level.
‘When he came into the team I felt as though he nearly had to re-invent himself again. Go back to being the old Wayne Rooney, fighting for everything that’s there but with the technical ability of a top player.
‘I think he’s done that. He’s back, he’s showing leadership qualities and he’s shown exactly what it is to play for Manchester United.
‘I’ve heard people saying he wouldn’t be here at different times but, as you know, football deals don’t get done quickly now. I’ve probably known for three or four months that this would probably happen. In fact, I’ve felt it since August.’
Break: Rooney's wife Coleen pictured in Barbados on a holiday with sons Kai and Klay
Say cheese! Coleen and Klay smile for the camera while Wayne finalises his £300k-a-week deal at Old Trafford
Moyes was in charge at Everton when Rooney signed his first professional contract, and admitted that there was ‘a bit of déjà vu’ when they posed for photographs on Friday.
Despite a poor first season in charge, Moyes believes that Rooney’s decision to sign a new contract is a clear sign that he trusts the Scot to be a success at United and attract some of the world’s top players to Old Trafford.
‘I always felt some day our paths would cross again and they have,’ said Moyes.
‘He knows by the way I train, by the way I work, by my determination to succeed that I won’t allow this to go the way it is. I'll make changes if it doesn’t improve.
Secured: Moyes has drawn the very best out of Rooney this season, but his future had been in doubt still
‘I said to you as well, and you’ll get to know when I say it I mean it, that we’d be in for all the best players in the world – and that hasn’t changed.
‘All the top players want to play for Manchester United. I can’t tell you the amount of phone calls I’ve had from top players around the world who want to play for Manchester United.’
Now Moyes believes that Rooney can go on to achieve legendary status at Old Trafford and elevate himself alongside United greats like George Best and Sir Bobby Charlton.
‘To be a legend at Manchester United it is something where you are associated with this club for the rest of your life,’ he said.
‘For Wayne, I think he’s recognised people like Bobby Charlton George Best and the way those big stars are seen here.
Bobbing! David Moyes took training in a club bobble hat while Rio Ferdinand grinned from ear to ear
Main man: The England striker has been a standout for the Reds this season in trying circumstances
‘Wayne’s next thing is that we have to keep challenging him to get those goals and make those big targets.’
In order to make sure that he gets the most out of the remaining years of his career, it has been agreed that United’s commercial department will take over the handling of his endorsement contracts from now on.
For example, Rooney’s deals with companies like Nike and Samsung will now become the responsibility of the club, meaning that the England striker will now have one of the biggest football clubs on the planet effectively working on his behalf to maximise his earnings.
It had looked as if the 28-year-old would be leaving for pastures new last summer, with Chelsea keen to land the England man.
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