striker Rooney shocks Manu, signs new 150,000 pound-a-week contract

Wayne Rooney signs shock contract extension with Man United

Striker Rooney shocks Manu, signs new 150,000 pound-a-week contract

Wayne Rooney signed a new contract with Manchester United till 2015.
Pic/Getty Images

The Old Trafford outfit confirmed this afternoon that Rooney has agreed a new five-year contract with United, which will keep him at the club until 2015. Rooney's deal is worth around ufffd150,000 a week. It was a declaration that scarcely could have been imagined earlier this week, when the split between Rooney and Ferguson appeared beyond repair.

Yet, both in a passionate pre-match press conference and during a long defence of his own recruitment policy immediately after Wednesday night's Champions League victory over Bursaspor, Ferguson insisted he wanted Rooney to stay. And the 24-year-old immediately asked trusted adviser Paul Stretford to set up meetings which concluded in Friday's announcement after a whirlwind 24 hours.

"Since it became public knowledge we had to move quicker than everybody expected," Rooney told MUTV.
"Once it all came out, it looked as though there was nowhere to go.

"But the manager made it quite clear the door was still open for me to sign. The club still wanted me to sign.
"I spoke to my agent and said 'let's go in and sit down and try to resolve it to get the deal done'.
"We went in, spoke with the manager, the Glazers and David Gill. I am really pleased we managed to sort it out."

In referring to Ferguson as "a genius" in his own damning statement about the club's recruitment policy on Wednesday evening, Rooney quashed speculation the pair had fallen out over the United boss' handling of his star striker's well documented private problems.

Rooney insists Ferguson was not the sole reason for his decision to stay. But he admits the Scot is a powerful influence on his career. "I am sure it has been difficult for him as well," acknowledged Rooney.

"He has to look after the club and was trying to convince me to sign a new deal at the club. He is a great manager. I have said many times one of the big reasons I joined this club was to work under him, with his experience, passion and will to win."I wanted to be successful working with him. I have managed to do that. I am hoping in the next few years we can do that again," he added.

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