Rooney opens contract talks with Man United

Dead_Man_Inc SG

Wayne Rooney has opened talks aimed at cementing his long-term future with Manchester United.

The 20-year-old has previously stated his intention to remain at Old Trafford but confirmation that negotiations with the Red Devils have begun will ease any tension among United's supporters about Rooney's short-term intentions.

Although the deal Rooney signed when he completed his £27million switch from Everton in 2004 is not due to expire for another four years, both club and player are eager to extend it.

It has been suggested agreement could be reached by the end of the year, with any new deal certain to catapult Rooney into United's high-earning bracket despite a series of below-par displays in recent times.

The England star, who suffered intense personal abuse in the aftermath of the midweek defeat in Croatia, showed clear signs of a return to form in the second half of yesterday's win over Wigan, which maintained United's position at the Premiership summit.

Although Rooney failed to break a scoring drought which now extends to nine games for club and country since the opening day of the domestic campaign, he played a major part in his side's comeback triumph, providing key assists for Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

His performance earned huge praise, not just from his own manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but also Wigan chief Paul Jewell, who branded recent criticism of the player as 'nonsense'.

Yesterday's performance, once Rooney had been moved away from the left flank following the half-time introduction of Ryan Giggs, certainly suggested Jewell's assertion is correct.

And Ferguson has seen no indication of the striker being overly concerned by his current barren streak.

'He doesn't seem to be the type of individual who would get himself hot and bothered about what has gone on,' said the United boss.

'He has always been quite an open lad, cocky and confident.

'I don't think he sits and worries about things like that. He does not play that way.'

Ferguson has maintained all along Rooney's form will return once he gets a decent number of matches under his belt.

However, surprisingly given the stern warnings Ferguson offered prior to Rooney's participation in the World Cup, he does not feel the forward's presence in Germany, just weeks after sustaining a broken foot at Chelsea in April, has necessarily been a major contributing factor behind recent relatively poor displays.

'I don't think going to the World Cup did Wayne any good considering the physical condition he was in but I am not 100% sure that it is anything to do with what we are seeing at the moment,' said the Scot.

'He got his rest afterwards like everyone else but then he just went straight back into football training without doing any endurance work, which is something we will address next summer.'

Rooney is certain to face FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Amazingly, he has not scored in the tournament since his famous debut-day hat-trick against Fenerbahce in September 2004, a statistic which Ferguson finds difficult to comprehend.

'I am surprised he has not scored in the Champions League for two years,' he said.

'We had a bad campaign last year, so you have to put that aside I suppose but nonetheless, I am surprised.'

zocoss SG

Ryan Giggs insists no one at Manchester United has been getting worked up about Wayne Rooney's dip in form.

Although it is now nine games since Rooney last found the net, the young striker's display against Wigan on Saturday contained everything but a goal.

The 20-year-old's energy ensured Wigan did not inflict too much damage during a poor first half for the Red Devils.

Then, after Giggs' interval introduction released him to occupy a more central position, Rooney provided the assists which helped Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer secure a 3-1 win for the Barclays Premiership table-toppers.

"Players go through spells like that, it doesn't matter who you are," said Giggs.

"The thing about Wayne is that he is working hard and that is the key if you are not playing unbelievably every week.

"You work hard to get out of such troughs but he has never shown things were bothering him.

"Against Wigan he was brilliant. He could have scored four or five times. When things are going for you, some of the shots he had go in.

"But the goals will come and the lads are confident he will continue to produce performances like the one on Saturday."

With talks now open on a lucrative long-term contract extension which will go way beyond his current deal, which is not due to expire until 2010, the Old Trafford hierarchy have signalled their belief Rooney will continue to be a major force at the club for many years to come.

Whether he gets to the 15 years of sterling service Giggs has provided remains to be seen. But Rooney could clearly learn lots from the Wales captain, whose hunger for success remains despite already being the most decorated player United have ever had.

The 32-year-old was the catalyst behind the Red Devils' triumph at Wigan, introduced at half-time despite being nowhere near fully fit after the recent hamstring injury which has kept him out for a month.

Giggs' participation in Tuesday's Champions League tussle with FC Copenhagen will probably depend on whether Cristiano Ronaldo recovers from the ankle injury which kept him out at the JJB Stadium, although the veteran wide man is hopeful of starting against the Danes.

"I could still feel the hamstring a little bit but it is not too bad," he said.

"A half was what I needed really and hopefully, I might get a full game against Copenhagen. That is the plan."