Wayne Rooney is confident Carlos Tevez will pledge his long-term future to Manchester United.

The Argentina international has indicated he would be keen to stay on at Old Trafford when his loan deal expires next year.

‘I don’t see why that shouldn’t happen,’ said Rooney. ‘Carlos enjoys playing his football here.

‘He’s got his wife and child with him, who don’t live too far away from me.

‘He’s a nice quiet lad who gets on with his job and he’s enjoying his life.’

In the space of 12 months Tevez has gone from saving West Ham from relegation to winning a Barclays Premier League title with United.

He has formed a good understanding with Rooney and the respect is mutual ahead of the Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow on Wednesday.

‘Carlos is a great player and works really hard for the team. I had no doubts at all we could play together,’ said the England striker.

‘From his first day in training with us, you could see the qualities he had.

‘I couldn’t wait to play alongside him. He’s been brilliant, he’s a battler, he works so hard for the team - it’s been unbelievable.’

It is a big time in Rooney’s life, both professionally and personally as he is due to marry Coleen McLoughlin next month.

Beating Chelsea and getting a winners’ medal would be a perfect early gift, he admits.

‘Yes, it will make the wedding a bit better,’ said Rooney. ‘Of course, I’ll enjoy the summer more if I win.

‘However it wouldn’t be unbearable if we lost because you have your football and your family life.

‘They are two different things and you can’t really let it upset you too much.

‘You’ve still got people there around you and you don’t want to be sitting around grumpy.

‘When I am with my family, football doesn’t get mentioned that much.’

United retained their Premier League title on the last day and edged out Chelsea by two points.

Rooney is well aware of the threat posed by their league rivals, especially when it comes to striker Didier Drogba.

‘He’s big, strong, he scores goals - left foot, right foot, headers - at times he is unplayable,’ said Rooney.

‘Sometimes it seems as if his head’s not quite right but when he’s at his best he’s an unbelievable player.

‘I hope it’s like a Premier League game, an open game and end to end.

‘If Chelsea go one up it is very difficult to get back at them as they are more defensive than us.

‘If we go one up, we’d keep trying to get a second goal. That’s the main difference between the teams.

‘To win the Champions League on the back of winning the league would be a great achievement - we just have to go there to enjoy it.’

Article source:

ESPNSoccernet

Sir Alex Ferguson is ecstatic after landing his 10th Barclays Premier League title as United boss. Here’s a transcript of his first post-match interview at Wigan:

Was this the toughest title race so far?
“It was a tough one alright and being away from home today made it more difficult. In fairness for most of the game we played well. There were some nervous moments and then the rain came and we were wondering what’s going to happen now, because anything can happen on a rainy surface. Just after half-time we started to get a grip of it. We missed a few chances and the goalkeeper made some great saves. I was saying to myself, “Please give us that second goal.” Of course, my oldest player, ten medals today, gets it – Ryan Giggs. Fantastic.”

Was Paul Scholes fortunate not to be sent off?
“I think Paul rode his luck a little bit. I thought his first tackle was reckless and he deserved to be booked. The second one was nothing, a shove and it didn’t merit a booking at all. But there was one a few minutes before that one which puts the case in doubt.”

How nervous were you when Chelsea went 1-0 up?
“You’ve got to try and dismiss all the stuff round about you, forget what was happening at Chelsea and concentrate on our own game. I think we did that okay. But there was a guy behind us who kept telling us it was 2-0 to Chelsea after just one minute.”

What would you regard as the turning point in the title race?
“It ebbed and flowed a bit. Arsenal, for long periods, looked like they were

going to win it. Then they dropped a few points after we knocked them out of the FA Cup and that told for them. We then dropped a few points at Blackburn and Middlesbrough and that allowed Chelsea to close right in. But the two points they dropped against Wigan probably won the title for us.”

How does it feel to have won 10 titles?
“Fantastic. I’m very proud. Proud to have survived for so long. It’s a great club and it’s much easier for me than it is for anyone else. How would I do without this? Tell me.”

You’re now just one title short of Liverpool’s record. Is that your next target?
“I think it will come. This side’s young. It’s developing all the time. It’s a good young team and there are plenty of years left in them. They’ll do it in their own time.”

What impact will winning the title have on the Champions League final?
“The great thing is we’re bouncing into the final. We can look forward to it. If we’d lost the title today, it would have been difficult. When we lost the title at West Ham in 1995, we lost the FA Cup final the following week. We were dead then. We’re not dead now, we’re alive. If we win the European Cup, this has to be my best team.”

Article source:

ManUtd.com