Rooney sets goals for remainder of season

Wayne Rooney intends to finish the season on a high by helping Manchester United secure some silverware before turning his attentions to World Cup glory with England.

With United trailing Barclays Premiership leaders Chelsea by 15 points and also out of Europe, the most likely source of a trophy will have to come in the cup competitions.

Wigan await the Red Devils in Cardiff for the Carling Cup final at the end of the month, while Liverpool will be their fifth-round opponents in the FA Cup at Anfield.

England striker Rooney, 20, epitomises the fighting spirit within Alex Ferguson’s squad to ensure the campaign does not peter out.

And he declared: “We just want to win all of our games, and that is what we have to do now.

“Hopefully we can get a result in the cup final in a couple of weeks and take it on from there into the World Cup.”

Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer believes Rooney could set the World Cup alight this summer and be the tournament’s “superstar” as Sven-Goran Eriksson looks to finish his reign by ending England’s 40-year quest for the game’s biggest prize.

Rooney knows the expectation of a nation are resting on his young shoulders, but the United striker is confident he can deliver.

“It is nice to hear things like that, but hopefully he will still be saying that by the end of it,” Rooney told PA Sport.

The England international was in London last night, along with his Old Trafford team-mates Rio Ferdinand and Christiano Ronaldo as well as manager Alex Ferguson, for Nike’s Joga Bonito launch, an initiative designed to help rediscover the soul of the beautiful game in World Cup year.

Rooney joined Ferdinand, and his younger brother Anton, the West Ham defender, in a small-sided match against Ronaldo, Tottenham’s Robbie Keane and Cesc Fabregas, of Arsenal, to mark the event launch, with all players posing for photos alongside smiling managers Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal boss, at the Truman Brewery.

United centre-back Ferdinand, 27, is also expected to play an integral role for England this summer, and he reflected: “Hopefully everyone will stay fit - and we have high aspirations to be successful.”