Was Rooney’s rocket the Premier League’s greatest ever goal?

IT was perhaps an indication of the importance of the goal, as well as the sublime skill and technique involved in its conversion, but the response to Wayne Rooney’s winning Manchester derby goal did border on the hysterical.

There can be little doubt that the finish, a stunning overhead kick that is destined to be replayed ad nauseum for several seasons to come, must be considered among the best, if not the best, of Rooney’s career. After all, the player himself declared this to be so.

“Yes, I think that’s the best goal of my life,” he added. “I scored an overhead kick at school but that’s my first since I started playing professionally.

“I think it’s pure instinct. You don’t have time to think about what you’re going to do. Nine times out of 10 it hits the bar or goes wide but thankfully this one hit the top corner.

“To score that goal, and see the joy on the faces of the crowd, the manager, the players... it’s fantastic.

“The Manchester United fans deserve that from me. I haven’t had the best of seasons and I know how big this game is in Manchester, so I hope they enjoyed that. Now the aim is to keep scoring and help get that title back.”

Rooney was prepared to look at United’s imposing eight-point lead over their neighbours and discount them from the battle for the title.

“It almost certainly rules City out of the title race unless a disaster happens,” he said. “We are the team to catch. We know how it feels to be top and to get over that finish line.

“We have the experience with the manager and the players and we know what we have to do.

“Hopefully within the next six or seven games, we can maintain that gap, or make it bigger.”

Comparisons, also, with the great Denis Law, Alex Ferguson’s own personal United hero, were probably valid, not that there are many fans of the Reds around today who can remember, first-hand, the Scotsman’s goalscoring exploits.

But for Ferguson to question whether Law ever finished with such venom? For the veteran of 24 years at Old Trafford to question whether it was the greatest goal he had ever seen at the famous old ground, the greatest he had seen ever? Surely, Ferguson was swept away by the occasion?

“I haven’t seen anything like it, that’s for sure,” said Ferguson. “It reminded me of Denis Law although whether Denis ever put them in with such ferocity, I’m not so sure.

“I can’t ever remember a better goal at Old Trafford. There was a Rooney volley against Newcastle I remember a few years ago with that kind of ferocity and we have had some fantastic goals here.

“But in terms of the execution of it, you will never see a better goal than that.

“The thing is Nani’s goal will be completely forgotten! That was a fantastic goal — an unbelievable touch, he took it round the defender, but nobody in their right mind would even talk about that. All the talk will be about that winning goal. Unbelievable.”

Rooney, unlike the spell during his contract dispute with United before Christmas, was not about to disagree with Ferguson.